Robert Morris dropping hockey

[ARM]

I think that many schools are going to be making difficult decisions regarding their athletic departments in the next few years. If a particular sport doesn't have any "friends in the room", like the AD or university president, then it is more likely that it gets axed. Many of these folks are political creatures, and they don't want to offend by losing a great basketball coach because they didn't come up with a multi-million dollar extension or have football slump because it didn't get a new practice facility. Beyond some parents and a couple dozen fans, who will be offended if hockey goes away at some of these schools?

This might answer some of our debates about possible conference realignment. Are any of these other leagues really so healthy that they won't have any casualties of their own?

[DavidNardolillo]

RMU has a $38M endowment, which is small, but not nothing

RMU's 2019 Form 990 lists total expenses for the year of over $170 million. That inverted ratio makes a school very dependent on tuition revenue.

[DavidNardolillo]

Sorry for the worlds longest post. Feeling sad for RMU women’s hockey and wondering how their board didn’t see the value in fighting to keep them.

It understandable to be thoroughly dismayed and angry, but I am guessing the board might have needed to make a cut. I found some reporting about the financial condition of the university the year before the pandemic that suggests a landscape where any budget decision needed to be immediate.

Of course, hockey might have been saved by cutting the football budget, but this is Western PA and the rink "maintenance and investment" comments (and its riverfront acreage) suggest that hockey was going to be in a precarious position. Regardless of the reason, this is an unfair result for the players and staff.

[Lindsay]

It understandable to be thoroughly dismayed and angry, but I am guessing the board might have needed to make a cut. I found some reporting about the financial condition of the university the year before the pandemic that suggests a landscape where any budget decision needed to be immediate.
.

Who knows. I’m just bummed hockey in this area took a setback. :-(

And you see how messed up our priorities are as a society... there’s a quote in that link about freezing salaries of 10 year employees, and cutting 403b matching contributions. And these folks work in an environment that has a $50 mill basketball facility and events center.

[Lindsay]

Isn't Robert Morris hand-in-hand with the Pittsburgh Penguins on some level? I thought I read that somewhere. If so, is there something legal keeping the Penguins from helping out the only D-1 hockey in Pittsburgh, or is it too late for that?

Not sure Zed. Whole thing seems weird though right?

As an aside - Pittsburgh was the number one local tv market in the NHL this season.

[Lindsay]

Are any of these other leagues really so healthy that they won't have any casualties of their own?

Leagues, schools and programs. Whole thing is unsettling. I just did not see RMU as being the program to get cut.
AP has a story out picked up by many news services saying the women made the NCAA tourney in 2017. Forgot 2021, sigh.

[ARM]

AP has a story out picked up by many news services saying the women made the NCAA tourney in 2017. Forgot 2021, sigh.

My guess would be that the program updates its canned media release at the start of each season, and it likely listed conference titles and advancing to the tourney in 2017. It probably wasn't updated again after this year's tourney, so for those who look to a single source, there would be no mention of a 2021 tournament appearance.

At least what they reported was factual, just not comprehensive; a lot of what gets passed off as news these days isn't either.

[vicb]

..... a lot of what gets passed off as news these days isn't either.

Oh that FAKE NEWS :-) .

[Lindsay]

Oh that FAKE NEWS :-) .

ARM - your explanation makes sense, did not realize that’s how it works.

Vicb- fake news in women’s hockey? Never! Next you’ll be denying the Clarkson college Fighting Nurses of Omaha Nebraska won a national championship in ice hockey. By the way, did you hear the NHL is going to fund a pro women’s league?

[Lindsay]

https://dkpittsburghsports.com/2021/...ed-board-jp-dk

It’s being reported that the board wasn’t even consulted before RMU cut their hockey programs. Decision made by board chair and by President of the university. GM of Steelers is (was) on the board and resigned this weekend.

I started looking at rosters this weekend for possible transfers, but stopped after the first 2 teams I looked at had over 25 players already. RMU community is trying to save their hockey teams, understandably, which further complicates things for players. What a mess.

[Lindsay]

Next year’s girls nationals (all 3 age groups) and women’s nationals are also being held in Pittsburgh next year.

That city and it’s hockey culture combined with the success of the schools hockey programs
delivers a ton of opportunities for RMU to get Press out of their hockey programs. A good fit for NCAA hockey.

https://www.upmclemieuxsportscomple*...e/show/1126218

[Cornholio]

Really tough on all the players (men and women) given the timing and that most rosters are already backlogged due to the covid/extra year of eligibility, much less any scholly money left at this time of the year. St. Thomas I suspect is fielding a lot of phone calls right now. Every player for themselves unfortunately.

[EMPTYNETTER]

https://dkpittsburghsports.com/2021/...ed-board-jp-dk

It’s being reported that the board wasn’t even consulted before RMU cut their hockey programs. Decision made by board chair and by President of the university. GM of Steelers is (was) on the board and resigned this weekend.

I started looking at rosters this weekend for possible transfers, but stopped after the first 2 teams I looked at had over 25 players already. RMU community is trying to save their hockey teams, understandably, which further complicates things for players. What a mess.

I think Kevin Colbert's action speaks volumes, especially given the fact he's typically pretty reserved.

[Lindsay]

https://triblive.com/sports/how-stee...-want-to-help/


I watched the prepared statement the president gave... says 5 to 30 million in capital needed (some people heard 13) and then later referenced a 10 to 25 million operations budget endowment need.

[Lindsay]

Really tough on all the players (men and women) given the timing and that most rosters are already backlogged due to the covid/extra year of eligibility, much less any scholly money left at this time of the year. St. Thomas I suspect is fielding a lot of phone calls right now. Every player for themselves unfortunately.

I forgot about this scenario. Perhaps we’ll see some players show up here.