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U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

Split-N said:
Personally, I'm getting a bit weary of this Kabuki dance. Illinois is not exactly scratching to make ends meet. And it is not without resources, including more than a few well-heeled alums. How many years of "researching" does it take for the flagship university of a relatively prosperous state that is a major incubator of hockey talent to either dump or get off the pot with regard to hockey? Could part of the problem be that, in addition to seed money and Title IX, entrenched football and basketball interests are not excited about another varsity program that would compete for budget dollars and gate revenue?

If Illinois really wants to know how to get a program off the ground, maybe it ought to visit Arizona State.
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Didn't that artist's rendering of their new arena have them as 2022 National Champions? They better get moving!
 
Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

"Hoping" doesn't necessarily mean "gonna happen." As much as I'd personally like to see it happen, I'm still in the skeptical camp, given the way this has been drawn out over a period of years.
 
RaceBoarder said:
So they are doing this through corporate donations and by selling the naming rights to the arena?
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However the money could be raised to make this happen. They even are considering a men’s program to comply with Title IX if they fall short. I doubt they go this far and then say no.
 
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Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

SunDevil Hockey said:
However the money could be raised to make this happen. They even are considering a men’s program to comply with Title IX if they fall short. I doubt they go this far and then say no.
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I agree. You don't spend this much time on something for it to go through your fingers.
 
Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

SunDevil Hockey said:
However the money could be raised to make this happen. They even are considering a men’s program to comply with Title IX if they fall short. I doubt they go this far and then say no.
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Here's hoping that they just add a women's program. Of course its a money drain (as are all sports but football, men's basketball and some men's hockey programs) but Illinois has great girls hockey programs like Mission and CYA. Plus in this day in age, the optics would look really poor in my opinion. If you are building a new arena, its pretty simple to engineer in the facilities for a women's program.
 
Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

70% chance Illinois announces a program during/after the Frozen Four
24.9% chance they announce no program now or ever
0.1% it’s all a ruse, U of Chicago is back in the Big Ten, and better than ever (but only for hockey)
 
ExileOnDaytonStreet said:
70% chance Illinois announces a program during/after the Frozen Four
24.9% chance they announce no program now or ever
0.1% it’s all a ruse, U of Chicago is back in the Big Ten, and better than ever (but only for hockey)
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Hope it’s true, but the State of Illinois is such a financial disaster right now (and for the foreseeable future) that it seems like a politically tone deaf move, unless they’ve found a major donor
 
Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

ExileOnDaytonStreet said:
...0.1% it’s all a ruse, U of Chicago is back in the Big Ten, and better than ever (but only for hockey)
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Now that's thinking outside the box! Made me smile. Broadly.:D Post of the Day!

Funny thing is, it could actually work out pretty well for them. An annual visit from each of the B1G schools; then load up the NC schedule with Ivies.

Of course it's just a whimsical fantasy. Big time sports just isn't in their culture. A Former University President once remarked: Sports? When I get the urge to exercise, I lay down until it goes away."

So we'll just have to root for the Illini to take the plunge. At least that would get us up to 8 members.
 
Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

purpleinnebraska said:
Hope it’s true, but the State of Illinois is such a financial disaster right now (and for the foreseeable future) that it seems like a politically tone deaf move, unless they’ve found a major donor
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Not just the Illinois State but if you "premier" programs of football and bball are mired in the muck of the conferences how do you see adding more pressure to the budget from hockey?
 
Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

ExileOnDaytonStreet said:
70% chance Illinois announces a program during/after the Frozen Four
24.9% chance they announce no program now or ever
0.1% it’s all a ruse, U of Chicago is back in the Big Ten, and better than ever (but only for hockey)
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and the other 5%?
 
pgb-ohio said:
UIC Revival?
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If only.

I’d love to see some Horizon League schools with programs. Oakland University was reported to have passed a feasibility study with flying colors, so who knows? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

On a similar note, wasn’t there a MAC school or two that was looking into a feasibility study? Or was that just a summer thread pipe dream? It’s hard to keep track.
 
Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

Yes. I’ve heard it from a few people that they’re looking.
 
Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

Given that they’re D-III, they’d have to formally play up. I’d thought the NCAA was done with that (except maybe for D-II schools due to the lack of a championship at that level).
 
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