U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

[The Sicatoka]

The Nebraska Corn-Puckers?

Must see jersey.

[4four4]

Rumor has it this project is still on the books. It's a done deal or close. LOL. I didn't get enough information why it's taking so long. LOL. We will see here.

[JohnsonsJerseys]

I was told by an inside source that Illinois is 100% committed to D-I hockey, unless they decide not to field a team. So it is clear to me that the team is going to happen unless is doesn't.

[Leather Lungs]

I don't know who Rumor is, but he doesn't have $h!t.

[Split-N]

I was told by an inside source that Illinois is 100% committed to D-I hockey, unless they decide not to field a team...

If not fielding a team is still an option, then how can Illinois be "100% committed to D-1 hockey"????

[Leather Lungs]

If not fielding a team is still an option, then how can Illinois be "100% committed to D-1 hockey"????

He was being sarcasric.

[Split-N]

He was being sarcastic.

D'OH!!! This whole Illinois D1 hockey thread has become so convoluted that my sarcasm detector must have shorted out.

[slowe]

Basically nothing yet other than they’re still talking. At this point I’m happy he’s saying that instead of they’re giving up.

Whitman weighs in on football struggles, facility upgrades, hockey and more

https://www.news-gazette.com/sports/...a1044f636.html

“We have restarted some of those conversations. This was an idea that obviously was very much front of mind for us for a number of years. When the pandemic hit, that conversation moved very quickly to the back burner when we left it until just recently when we re-opened some of those discussions with all of the different stakeholders,” Whitman said. “We just want to get a sense of the room in how their worlds have changed as our world has changed, and is there still an appetite to undertake this project? That’s an ongoing conversation now.”

Whitman didn’t offer a timeline on when any decisions about the future of hockey at Illinois would take place.

“It was a pretty complex conversation before,” he said. “I would say it certainly hasn’t gotten any simpler in light of the pandemic.”

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

It is worth reiterating that the arena that is the centerpiece of this deal isn’t just for Illinois and there are other stakeholders involved.

So it isn’t very surprising that the pandemic has been a bigger hurdle here than, say, an Augustana scenario where just one or two big donors can make it happen out of nothingness.

Trev Alberts, former Nebraska LB, former AD at UN-Omaha, named new AD at Nebraska-Lincoln.

Let the speculation commence.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/...letic-director

Cutting football and wrestling at UNO was all part of his long con to get Nebraska on the ice in the ol’ Lancers barn…

[slowe]

Not sure why I’m bothering, but here you go. Still being discussed but it’s not dead yet.

https://herald-review.com/sports/hoc...6fa91e2ab.html

[JohnsonsJerseys]

March of 2020: “We were two weeks away from announcing that we were going to add varsity hockey and move forward with the downtown facility and then COVID hit,” Illinois Associate Director of Athletics Kent Brown said.

March of 2022: Josh Whitman announced those efforts were put back into motion but there is still a ways to go... Since the process is in the beginning stages, a timeline for decision making or next steps is also a work in progress.

Sooo... the program is ready to go, but they're just in the beginning stages of planning. Yep, that kind of talk is absolutely how administrators keep their jobs and politicians get elected - big promises with no firm commitment to actually DO anything.

Meanwhile, LIU is finishing their second season in D-I.

[Russell Jaslow]

March of 2020: “We were two weeks away from announcing that we were going to add varsity hockey and move forward with the downtown facility and then COVID hit,” Illinois Associate Director of Athletics Kent Brown said.

March of 2022: Josh Whitman announced those efforts were put back into motion but there is still a ways to go... Since the process is in the beginning stages, a timeline for decision making or next steps is also a work in progress.

Sooo... the program is ready to go, but they're just in the beginning stages of planning. Yep, that kind of talk is absolutely how administrators keep their jobs and politicians get elected - big promises with no firm commitment to actually DO anything.

Meanwhile, LIU is finishing their second season in D-I.

And remember how all of us ripped and laughed on LIU for moving so fast...

[J.D.]

And remember how all of us ripped and laughed on LIU for moving so fast...

Not all of us...I applauded them!

[4four4]

Not sure why I’m bothering, but here you go. Still being discussed but it’s not dead yet.

https://herald-review.com/sports/hoc...6fa91e2ab.html

Sadly, this is what I heard from people within the USHL.

[bcmsu9196]

At this rate, UIC may come back before Illinois gets going. (I wish.)