UW-Milwaukee exploring adding D-1 hockey

[JDUBBS1280]

Marquette is also adding lacrosse in the next couple of years, so I would not expect any movement to add a more expensive sport any time soon.

Maybe.

[NMH]

Re: UW-Milwaukee exploring adding D-1 hockey

Not sure where people are getting their stats. From the Ads website, they averaged 6,027 last season. Conversely, the Wave drew 4,531. The Wave hasn't topped 5,000 since 2003-04.

The article quoted about UWM wanting to move basketball on campus is over a year old. That push was really being done by former AD (and former Packer) George Koonce. Koonce was put on admin leave for undisclosed reasons and then resigned. There hasn't been much talk about it since he left. It's been more a vague "plan" for campus - kind of like every university has in case they magically get gifted millions of dollars.

There's no info to back this up, but my experience with Admirals games is that Ads fans have absolutely no interest or knowledge of college hockey. We're often shocked when we talk to Ads season ticket holders who have never even been to a Badger game. You'd think that they'd support hockey at all levels, but they somehow seem to compartmentalize it. They don't even go to MSOE games, which are just down the street.

It's a very strange dynamic and I don't know why it happens. The Badgers have been good and they won the Frozen Four when it was in Milwaukee. The Admirals bring the Badger Band to a game every season and no one knows the dances or the chants - we're pretty much there doing them by ourselves.

Considering there's been a decent stream of college players - including Badgers - making there , way through the AHL, it doesn't make any sense that the fans aren't interested. We've gone to Ads games to see former Badgers come in with other teams - Burish, Earle, Skille, Davies, Dowell, Drewiske.

Honestly, there were Ads fans who had no idea who Blake Geoffrion was til he was assigned to Milwaukee.

[First Time, Long Time]

Huh? I think you have me confused with FTLT.

He's just confused.

[Lady wore Black]

Re: UW-Milwaukee exploring adding D-1 hockey

He's just confused.

You think!?

I am the one who grew up in Racine, so I lived it. I remember when Festival Hall closed the ice rink. Sad, sad day.

[CardinalandWhite]

Re: UW-Milwaukee exploring adding D-1 hockey

That would be a great move for WI and the sport. Hope it happens!

Agreed! UW-Milwaukee adding men's hockey would be a far better decision than adding football.

FBS Level - UWM can't meet the attendance and other requirements of FBS competition. Not to mention the tens of millions in cost for: a new DI-level stadium, fielding a team of 85 scholarships, plus title IX women's sports.

FCS Level - Many schools at the FCS level are losing money and several have dropped the sport entirely. For example, Nebraska-Omaha's recent decision to drop football when going from DII to DI, one of the reasons UNO cited was an average $2 million loss FCS football programs face annually.

What conference would UW-Milwaukee hockey be in, NCHC (along with Air Force to stay at an even number)? Or the WCHA?

[MadCityRich]

Re: UW-Milwaukee exploring adding D-1 hockey

Hockey won't happen at UWM. I don't think a D-1 college team in Milwaukee would get any attendance, other than students.

Milwaukee isn't the hockey version of Dyersville, Iowa. I know it's a totally different city than Madison, but few even follow Badger Hockey. What ever happened to that "Super Rink" that crashed and burned in SE Wisconsin? Lack of support....Ditto.

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: UW-Milwaukee exploring adding D-1 hockey

I don't think a D-1 college team in Milwaukee would get any attendance, other than students.

I disagree...it's still Wisconsin which is still a hockey strong state. Like I said earlier, they don't have to draw 10,000 to be successful. If they can get 3,000 to come out on a nightly basis that would put them in the middle of the pack in the country.

Hockey in Milwaukee continues to grow and I'm not sure it's fair to write something off just because of the opinion that hockey isn't strong in that part of the state. Actually programs like the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals are starting to churn out some players and some of the high school programs are really strong (USM has won two state titles recently).

[MadCityRich]

Re: UW-Milwaukee exploring adding D-1 hockey

I disagree...it's still Wisconsin which is still a hockey strong state. Like I said earlier, they don't have to draw 10,000 to be successful. If they can get 3,000 to come out on a nightly basis that would put them in the middle of the pack in the country.

Hockey in Milwaukee continues to grow and I'm not sure it's fair to write something off just because of the opinion that hockey isn't strong in that part of the state. Actually programs like the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals are starting to churn out some players and some of the high school programs are really strong (USM has won two state titles recently).

We'll agree to disagree; I respect your opinions and appreciate your insight. I HOPE it happens being the hockey honk that I am, but I don't see it. We'll see what shakes out.

[JDUBBS1280]

We'll agree to disagree; I respect your opinions and appreciate your insight. I HOPE it happens being the hockey honk that I am, but I don't see it. We'll see what shakes out.

Milwaukee is not a good hockey town, despite how bad Chuck wants it to be. There isn't a single outdoor hockey rink in the entire Milwaukee metro area. That's pathetic IMHO.

However, I do agree with Chuck that you don't need to draw 10,000 people to games to make it work. If they can get 1,000-3,000 people to show up, that would be more than sufficient.

Still doubt they add a hockey program, but it would be cool if they did.

[GopherBigGuy911]

Re: UW-Milwaukee exploring adding D-1 hockey

If MSU-Moorhead and UW-Milwaukee both add D-1 hockey it seems to me that the WCHA will be just fine when the B1G forms.

[4four4]

Re: UW-Milwaukee exploring adding D-1 hockey

Milwaukee is not a good hockey town, despite how bad Chuck wants it to be. There isn't a single outdoor hockey rink in the entire Milwaukee metro area. That's pathetic IMHO.

However, I do agree with Chuck that you don't need to draw 10,000 people to games to make it work. If they can get 1,000-3,000 people to show up, that would be more than sufficient.

Still doubt they add a hockey program, but it would be cool if they did.

There are no out door rinks in Alabama and they made it work for 30 years. ;')

[JDUBBS1280]

There are no out door rinks in Alabama and they made it work for 30 years. ;')

And no one would label any city in Alabama a great hockey town, which, if you re-read my post, was the point of that comment

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: UW-Milwaukee exploring adding D-1 hockey

Milwaukee is not a good hockey town, despite how bad Chuck wants it to be.

I never said anything close to that. Reading comprehension...work on it.

[JDUBBS1280]

I never said anything close to that. Reading comprehension...work on it.

You didn't come right out and say it, no. But we both know you think Milwaukee is more than a poor hockey city, which it is.

[Almington]

Re: UW-Milwaukee exploring adding D-1 hockey

You didn't come right out and say it, no. But we both know you think Milwaukee is more than a poor hockey city, which it is.

That's not what he said at all. I think that Chuck is skeptical that it could ever compete attendance wise with Madison and that you can't expect 10k attendance per game. The question that the UWM needs to answer is can they average the ~3k that they'd need to be in the new WCHA?