CornwallAce
Patron Saint of Defunct Teams
Interesting that on MCLA's schedule, Hirams dates are now listed as TBA. Though Hiram did add Salve Regina (TBD location) on their schedule.
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Future D3 (and D2) hockey programs
- Thread starter MilkUniversity
- Start date
MilkUniversity
Roll 'Thers | Plymouth State
USJ to Launch Men's and Women's Varsity Ice Hockey in Fall 2026
USJ to Launch Men's and Women's Varsity Ice Hockey in Fall 2026
usjbluejays.com
University of St. Josephs in Connecticut just announced they are starting D3 men's and women's hockey programs. Will be the 6th D3 college in CT with NCAA hockey.
Interesting to note, St. Josephs is in the GNAC which will now have 5 schools with hockey programs. Could be a chance that we see a GNAC hockey conference if another school makes the leap and if Norwich and NEC are ok with leaving the LEC to join.
MilkUniversity
Roll 'Thers | Plymouth State
Albright College in Pennsylvania announcing that they are starting a D3 men's hockey program in 2026. Albright will immediately be joining MAC hockey action in their first season, becoming the conference's 9th team. Fellow 'A' named college Alvernia will be a crosstown rival in Reading.
Russell Jaslow
Registered User
Interesting the coach they selected has no college experience. Not even as a player.
Sounds like his resume may mirror that of Jon Cooper in Tampa Bay.
elbojpb
Well-known member
My suspicion is that some of these D3 schools playing D1 hockey, and smaller schools that have "recently" moved from D3 to D1 are going to experience the same crisis that caused AIC to reclassify down.
4 of the bottom 8 D1 teams in the current NPI are RPI, Mercyhurst, St Lawrence and Niagara and have 7 total wins between them to-date! Some small school Athletic Departments are going to have to take a long and hard look at the viability of their programs in this new reality of NIL money and House vs NCAA settlement cash.
Additionally, those schools' barns are only ~40% full (if the USCHO attendance figures are correct) on game nights. When larger schools can afford to issue 5 & 6 digit compensation packages to elite hockey prospects, and your program is losing money, something has to give.
4 of the bottom 8 D1 teams in the current NPI are RPI, Mercyhurst, St Lawrence and Niagara and have 7 total wins between them to-date! Some small school Athletic Departments are going to have to take a long and hard look at the viability of their programs in this new reality of NIL money and House vs NCAA settlement cash.
Additionally, those schools' barns are only ~40% full (if the USCHO attendance figures are correct) on game nights. When larger schools can afford to issue 5 & 6 digit compensation packages to elite hockey prospects, and your program is losing money, something has to give.
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While Jon Cooper didn't play beyond high school, he has a law degree and won national championships coaching in all three Tiers of JR hockey before moving on to the AHL. Incredible story for sure.
PrezdeJohnson09
Proud supporter of Osmirwich hockey
RPI and St. Lawrence are D3 schools playing up to D1, they'll have a much easier time than Mercyhurst and Niagara, which are full fledge D1 programs now.
MilkUniversity
Roll 'Thers | Plymouth State
RPI and SLU also have a long history behind their teams, which brings that added alumni support and buy-in even if they are D3. From looking it up, Mercyhurst and Niagara both have arenas that can hold 1500 people and no more than double that in enrolled students. Between the resources and money being put into teams at that level, and attendance worse than a handful of D3 teams, feel like the clock is ticking down unless they manage to pull in some overlooked CHL players or even D3 transfers.
Makes me wonder also about the long term of some D2/D3 teams. Haven't heard anything about AIC since they dropped D1 hockey, know they are supposed to play in the NE-10 but there is no recent info about the team.
Makes me wonder also about the long term of some D2/D3 teams. Haven't heard anything about AIC since they dropped D1 hockey, know they are supposed to play in the NE-10 but there is no recent info about the team.
elbojpb
Well-known member
I am surmising that prolonged periods of very sub-par performance will affect that "alumni support".
Russell Jaslow
Registered User
For RPI, St. Lawrence (and we may as well say Clarkson)? NEVER! Especially since the later two just spent garbs of money renovating their arenas. And don't forget, their women's programs are sometimes more successful than the men.
I really don't think people understand the historic, cultural importance D1 hockey is to these schools. (I went to Potsdam, so I understand the significance hockey is to SLU and Clarkson and their respective towns. And they both have some very healthy endowments.)
Niagara is a complete D1 institution. So, unless they drop hockey all together, they can't move down.
As for Mercyhurst, they are in the process of a coaching change. Rick Gotkin announced he was going to retire after this year. Sometimes, that can have an effect on recruiting, as players don't know what the future will hold.
Was able to (sort of) cross an item off my bucket list when I saw Clarkson and St. Lawrence play in Lake Placid several years ago. It was a watered-down version of the atmosphere but my son and I were amused watching the two fan bases go back and forth throughout the night. And the teams on the ice did not care for each other!
Russell Jaslow
Registered User
The very first D1 hockey game I attended was St. Lawrence at Clarkson in the old Walker Arena. Insane doesn't even begin to describe it!
RPI is a pretty unique situation that hopefully, as a life-long fan, will turn around.
The issue isn't DI hockey at a DIII school, it's 20+ years of neglect under the former RPI President, a total rebuild required, a new coach (Eric Lang of AIC) and 20 new players, a fan base that has felt no love for more than a decade, etc. But the current President (an RPI grad who talks of the hockey glory days) is committed, there are major renovation plans for the Houston Field House, alumni who had been frozen out sound more engaged, and hopefully there's reason for optimism.
The climb uphill is steeper because of the gulf between the the richest and the rest, but dropping down would be hard to imagine now.
I think the same applies for some of the other DIII/playing up DI schools like St Lawrence, Clarkson and Union. Hockey is ingrained in the school culture and history, there are new or recently renovated facilities, and there is recent success. Keep in mind St Lawrence made the NCAA tournament in 2021, despite how bad they are right now.
The issue isn't DI hockey at a DIII school, it's 20+ years of neglect under the former RPI President, a total rebuild required, a new coach (Eric Lang of AIC) and 20 new players, a fan base that has felt no love for more than a decade, etc. But the current President (an RPI grad who talks of the hockey glory days) is committed, there are major renovation plans for the Houston Field House, alumni who had been frozen out sound more engaged, and hopefully there's reason for optimism.
The climb uphill is steeper because of the gulf between the the richest and the rest, but dropping down would be hard to imagine now.
I think the same applies for some of the other DIII/playing up DI schools like St Lawrence, Clarkson and Union. Hockey is ingrained in the school culture and history, there are new or recently renovated facilities, and there is recent success. Keep in mind St Lawrence made the NCAA tournament in 2021, despite how bad they are right now.