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Michigan Getting a Women's Team?

Hockeybuckeye said:
No, but it sure feels like that at times. The current plan they have projects it at 5 years out but it's been pushed back so many times over the past ten years it wouldn't surprise me if something else came up to delay it.
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In 5 years Boom Boom will get canned by the Tunnelers and Muzzy will say "new rink or I'm leaving and taking all the players with me."
 
Timothy A said:
In 5 years Boom Boom will get canned by the Tunnelers and Muzzy will say "new rink or I'm leaving and taking all the players with me."
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I'm sure the Ohio State Athletic Department could be held hostage by the women's hockey coach. Or any coach not playing with an oblong ball...
 
Timothy A said:
In 5 years Boom Boom will get canned by the Tunnelers and Muzzy will say "new rink or I'm leaving and taking all the players with me."
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While that might frighten me, but given that women's hockey brings in nothing financially compared to the financial outlay it takes to fund the program I don't think she has that leverage.
 
Hockeybuckeye said:
While that might frighten me, but given that women's hockey brings in nothing financially compared to the financial outlay it takes to fund the program I don't think she has that leverage.
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That is somewhat "chicken and egg", though; the building isn't big enough to sell enough tickets to generate revenue. To borrow from "Field of Dreams", "If you build it, will they come?"
 
Timothy A said:
One would think BADger fans would love to see them in the tin can forever. I certainly don't mind at all, even to the point of sacrificing the ability to clearly watch the games on the internet.
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It’s just a complete embarrassment that a school of such prominence and self proclaimed resources can’t do better.
The administration has no desire to ever build anything for the women’s hockey program… they flat out just don’t care.
The “We win despite our shit hole” mantra is, while true, just another reason the administration chooses to let that place survive.
They will be forced out by mechanical failure, roof collapse or the city condemning that place before any shovels ever move dirt for a new facility.
 
robertearle said:
That is somewhat "chicken and egg", though; the building isn't big enough to sell enough tickets to generate revenue. To borrow from "Field of Dreams", "If you build it, will they come?"
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Not a chance… not in Columbus…. Very few care…. It’s just not a thing that carries any interest
 
Starting with small steps, fixing the army surplus netting around the perimeter of the Tin Can would be a big improvement for the fans both in person and at home. Replace it with something more suitable or remove it altogether. Most rinks only have netting on the ends and that is because there are seats above the glass line that teams are shooting at.
 
Curious about the demographics of the crowds at UW, Minn and Penn State. Are students a majority of the crowd?

OSU hosted the Ice Breaker back in the fall of 2024, after winning the NCAA the previous spring, at the Value City Arena. The attendance was awful. Probably same 500 that show up regularly at the campus rink. Feels like that proved to the administration that the interest in the team is low even with great success record wise. To be fair I think this is a universal problem that there are so many choices of things to do women's hockey has difficulty drawing except for a few instances. Not sure Michigan students would support a team any different.
 
robertearle said:
That is somewhat "chicken and egg", though; the building isn't big enough to sell enough tickets to generate revenue. To borrow from "Field of Dreams", "If you build it, will they
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Arreis said:
Curious about the demographics of the crowds at UW, Minn and Penn State. Are students a majority of the crowd?

OSU hosted the Ice Breaker back in the fall of 2024, after winning the NCAA the previous spring, at the Value City Arena. The attendance was awful. Probably same 500 that show up regularly at the campus rink. Feels like that proved to the administration that the interest in the team is low even with great success record wise. To be fair I think this is a universal problem that there are so many choices of things to do women's hockey has difficulty drawing except for a few instances. Not sure Michigan students would support a team any different.
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Students are definitely not the majority at Labahn, Ridder or Pegula.
For the National Semifinal Penn State bought tickets for the students to attend.
Labahn has fans comprised of Alumni, families looking for reasonably priced entertainment for their kids and just people that embrace the fun and relative purity of women’s college athletics and Labahn is an experience cherished and supported like no other.
Mostly the same at Ridder. Penn State just has alumni and locals that enjoy a fun night out. Unfortunately that doesn’t equate to too many fans on a weekly basis.
Ohio State has the 500 to 700 faithful and then interest in the actual communities surrounding the Tin Can is virtually non existent.
 
Arreis said:
Curious about the demographics of the crowds at UW, Minn and Penn State. Are students a majority of the crowd?
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Wisconsin and Minnesota's attendance averages are double the next highest school's attendance, and way above everyone else. Nobody is even close to those two programs. To be fair, they've been at it and successful for a long time, too.

At Penn State, there is a faithful small group of students, but to pack the student section it usually takes some kind of freebie giveaway to get a big crowd of them. The overall crowd comes in at just over a third of the Wisconsin attendance average - good enough for sixth nationwide, but still could be a lot higher.
 
There is a growing student area on the SE corner of Labahn. They don't bring the kind of juice the students do at the men's games, but it's nice too see that interest develop. I think UW' crowd is either people with grey hair or families with gradeschool kids.
 
Arreis said:
So then OSU is never getting a new rink is what you are saying.
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OSU is never getting a new rink unless some donor comes Cororate and builds it. Muzzy basically promotes her team as a “blue collar team” at this point where they don’t need a fancy rink.

Michigan will not get a D1 program. It will not happen in the next 10 years. University of Denver will get a women’s program before any school in Michigan.
 
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