Hockey support in Georgia

[Sean Pickett]

Re: Hockey support in Georgia

Let's just say it costs $1M/season to run a D-I hockey team.

For 2018 the average cost for a men's DI program was $2,555,050, for the public schools the cost was $2,901,703, for the full DI schools the cost was $2,841,419, and for the full DI public schools the cost was $3,363,528 (Army is not included in the averages).

Sean

 

[devildog]

Re: Hockey support in Georgia

How is the game of hockey since the Thrashers moving to Canada?

I can't get passed the failed attempts in Georgia (Atlanta) to start pro hockey. Huge city, but no interest in hockey. I live in the Louisville area, which includes Indiana and Kentucky perspectives. These people see hockey as a threat to Basketball and shut it down before you get a chance to make ice. It has been tried here a few times, but the basketball folks make fun of the sport and of the fans. There are not enough hockey fans around here to overcome the negativity. If people want it, they will get it, but you can't force the game on people, that doesn't work.
I hope it goes. A reasonable 7 hour road trip for me.

 

[davyd83]

I can't get passed the failed attempts in Georgia (Atlanta) to start pro hockey. Huge city, but no interest in hockey. I live in the Louisville area, which includes Indiana and Kentucky perspectives. These people see hockey as a threat to Basketball and shut it down before you get a chance to make ice. It has been tried here a few times, but the basketball folks make fun of the sport and of the fans. There are not enough hockey fans around here to overcome the negativity. If people want it, they will get it, but you can't force the game on people, that doesn't work.
I hope it goes. A reasonable 7 hour road trip for me.

Ahhhh...RiverFrogs games at Louisville’s majestic Broadbent Arena... memories!

 

[Split-N]

Re: Hockey support in Georgia

...I live in the Louisville area, which includes Indiana and Kentucky perspectives. These people see hockey as a threat to Basketball and shut it down before you get a chance to make ice...

This observation aligns with what I've repeatedly been told by people with ties to Syracuse and Rhode Island: Although well-heeled donors supposedly have been ready to underwrite D1 hockey startup costs for years, entrenched basketball interests just don't want in-season revenue-producing competition.

 

[amkirby10]

I can't get passed the failed attempts in Georgia (Atlanta) to start pro hockey. Huge city, but no interest in hockey. I live in the Louisville area, which includes Indiana and Kentucky perspectives. These people see hockey as a threat to Basketball and shut it down before you get a chance to make ice. It has been tried here a few times, but the basketball folks make fun of the sport and of the fans. There are not enough hockey fans around here to overcome the negativity. If people want it, they will get it, but you can't force the game on people, that doesn't work.
I hope it goes. A reasonable 7 hour road trip for me.

Regarding hockey as a threat to B-Ball, I've had the same thoughts at the pro level for a while, but it makes even more sense at the college level. If attendance and fan interest seems to be dipping in all college sports, not just hockey, the last thing seasoned basketball guys would want is a new and exciting sport taking eyes off the court even further.

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: Hockey support in Georgia

Hockey is going to be behind basketball in most markets in the country and even in some cases in MN. There are far more HS bb teams than hockey in MN and the Gophers m&w bb teams draw more than their respective hockey teams. The Wolves might be the loan exception in comparison to the Wild, although they will draw when they're not horrid.

 

[RaceBoarder]

Re: Hockey support in Georgia

What's ironic is that if a school could make both sports gain a following, it would be fairly easy to make a workable schedule. NCAA Bouncy straight up doesn't play on Fridays for the most part and Saturdays are usually an afternoon affair, but only a few times each season. It's just a question of if enough people care about the school enough to make it work.

Do the B1G teams have fans that attend both on a regular basis or is it two distinctly separate groups?

 

[chiefs11]

Re: Hockey support in Georgia

Long live the flames one more time

 

[4four4]

Re: Hockey support in Georgia

Let's just say it costs $1M/season to run a D-I hockey team. Do you think the football boosters are going to let $1M get diverted away from the football team? And don't forget you'll also need to find funding for that required title IX yet to be determined women's sport as well. Hockey fans in Georgia can scream all they want that they want a D-I hockey team but they won't be louder than the football boosters.

Look at the struggles Illinois is having getting started and they are in a Northern climate with a crappy football team...

A more interesting option to watch will be St Thomas in MN. If they get NCAA approval to jump straight from D-III to D-I, they will likely have D-I hockey before any of these other programs that have been monkeying around for years already.

Illinois is still trying to figure out their stadium situation but once they do I expect an announcement.

Chip Scoggins said Saint Thomas will go D1 once they get the ok from the NCAA committee. Yes, they are more likely to be first before other schools.