Penn Quakers

[Spartanforlife4]

Re: Penn Quakers

What was the reason for Penn eliminating hockey?

Or for Columbia never starting a team? Or I guess continuing a team, it looks like they had a team in the early 1900s.

[Split-N]

Re: Penn Quakers

What was the reason for Penn eliminating hockey?....

Now I have to try and cut through 40+ years of cobwebs. But IIRC, the "official" reason was budget cuts. Now, a pillar of the Ivy League crying poor didn't resonate any better then than it would now. But the supposed "real" reason was that the senior administration at the time apparently wasn't very big on intercollegiate sports to begin with and wanted to drop everything down to club status. So it cut athletics funding across the board with only football and basketball escaping relatively unschathed. (There was also an undercurrent that Penn basketball, an off-and-on national power in those days, wasn't thrilled about the new (and very popular) hockey program giving it in-season revenue-producing competition.) So given the budget situation and Penn hockey being the new kid on the block, it was the easiest ox to gore.

So far as Penn hockey making a return, see my comment in Post #13. But one thing that would work in Penn's favor is the fact that a D-1 venue is already in place so no need to include that in calculating startup costs. Still, don't hold your breath.

I know very little about Columbia other than how to spell it. But unlike Penn, it does not have an existing facility that can be converted to hockey use and little or no room on campus on which to build one. If a (longshot) program were to start up. it would almost certainly have to play at an off-campus location.

[Dutchman]

Re: Penn Quakers

https://www.columbiahutchmen.com/
https://perec.columbia.edu/content/ice-hockey-mens

The men's Columbia University College Ice Hockey team is a club sport that competes in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) against teams throughout the Tri-State area. It is a competitive, full-contact league. Additionally the team competes in a weekend tournament against other Ivy League club teams. We welcome players of all skill levels. Graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to contact us.

[kdiff77]

Re: Penn Quakers

You can all but guarantee the ivies would push for Columbia to join up with Penn to make 8. I don’t think the ivies mind being in this current version of the ECAC with good academic schools but they’d much rather form their own league.

There is no chance Columbia would even consider adding a team. They won't even explore men's lacrosse, which would be far easier to accommodate since their football/soccer stadiums are both turf and the Ivy League plays its tournament there anyway (plus, they already have a women's team). To build a 3,000-seat ice hockey arena in Manhattan just isn't feasible. Columbia's focus is not, has never been, and likely never will be on expanding athletics.

[UncleRay]

Re: Penn Quakers

They have a rink. It’s (separately from the endowment) getting a renovation.

Do people really think that $50M is required here?

It's what they were quoted as targeting in the article.

[joecct]

They have a rink. It’s (separately from the endowment) getting a renovation.

Do people really think that $50M is required here?

As an endowment to live off the interest? Yup.