U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

[cetihcra]

Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

And so back to my original question...
Q: What have we seen out of ASU since that "approval" announcement?
A: ???? Rink plans? Renderings? Construction timeline? Name of the general contractor? Anything?

They were supposed to put plans together and then bring those back for approval and there hasn't been peep about the rink since. Thus my point, it's still all talk if they have nothing new 5+ months after the approval to go forward with the project. If they had anything ready, even proposed, they would be showing it all over hyping up their new building.

Unless they are building a pole barn with 5,000 bench seats, they are not going to have a new rink for the 2020-21 season based on what progress they have made thus far.

Ryan

The RFQ for design professionals wasn't due until 5/7. This crap takes time. I'd expect about 6-8 months of design and coordination once a team is selected. We may see some pretty pictures once schematic design is complete, a couple months into the design process. Building down there isn't like building up north, there are zero weather-related delays, and they have massive herds of inexpensive labor.

r

 

[4four4]

Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

Not surprising. It was a done deal when the NHL coughed up $20K for the feasibility study with full knowledge the potential for program success was already there.

I also hear the NHL/College Hockey Inc. will be approaching Iowa next when the Illinois deal is over.

 

[thebrain]

https://twitter.com/TravisSBN/status/877916599470006273

U of Illinois AD and the NHL will have a joint press conference Friday June 23rd supporting college hockey.

Just in time for the 7,000 seat Coralville arena to open.

 

[SteveO]

Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

I also hear the NHL/College Hockey Inc. will be approaching Iowa next when the Illinois deal is over.

Good news. Iowa had been on my shortlist for the B1G for a while now. NHL backing is a key to success here.

 

[slowe]

Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

Interview with Josh Whitman (AD). The link is mostly football but here's a quick hockey check in.

I have to ask a hockey question every time I see you. You said during the summer you’d like to green-light a hockey program and project by the end of the calendar year. Is that still the pace or what’s the update on that project?

Whitman: “I think it is. I don’t know if it will be a public announcement by the end of the year, but I think during this academic year, certainly we hope to get it done and get it through the appropriate approvals. A decision of this magnitude requires a lot of sign off from a number of different people: the chancellor’s office, ultimately the president’s office, the board of trustees. We’ll need to handle that appropriately and get it through the right channels the right way, which takes times. I think we still want to get to a place by the end of the year where we’d know what we’d like to do, whether we’re able to get it signed off on in all the t’s crossed and the i’s dotted, I doubt that will happen.

“But things are going well. We’ve had some nice events. Recently, we hosted an event at the Urbana Country Club a few weeks back with a lot of local leaders, business leaders and presented I think a strong vision for not just the hockey project but the entire downtown redevelopment and how this new arena could be a linchpin to that project. We spent some time out in Allentown, Pennsylvania, which has really established itself as kind of the model of what a downtown arena project can do to revitalize an area. It was nice to be able to show some of that footage and demonstrate, ‘This works.’ I think it got people excited. Those conversations are continuing. I think we continue to gain some momentum. But again, you always want to be cautious and a little bit guarded because there’s still a lot of ground yet to travel.”

https://247sports.com/college/illin...the-hot-seat-and-future-scheduling-121260638/

 

[Split-N]

Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

*yawn* I'm starting to lose count of the number of years this nothing-speak has been going on.

 

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

*yawn* I'm starting to lose count of the number of years this nothing-speak has been going on.

There will likely be plenty more talking before anything concrete happens. ASU had a several year head start and look where they are now. Illinois wouldn't face the "find a conference" struggle but hopefully they are learning from ASU's plan (or lack there-of) of creating a team before they had a place to play and a conference to join. Hopefully all this excitement isn't going to end up like some of the NHL's recent expansion where new teams pop up like a wild fire and then years later they burn out and die. The NCAA isn't going to prop up a team on life-support like the NHL did in AZ.

Ryan

 

[WiscDC]

There will likely be plenty more talking before anything concrete happens. ASU had a several year head start and look where they are now. Illinois wouldn't face the "find a conference" struggle but hopefully they are learning from ASU's plan (or lack there-of) of creating a team before they had a place to play and a conference to join. Hopefully all this excitement isn't going to end up like some of the NHL's recent expansion where new teams pop up like a wild fire and then years later they burn out and die. The NCAA isn't going to prop up a team on life-support like the NHL did in AZ.

Ryan

...and this talk is way different than the "nothing speak" of years past. What was going on for years was people saying "Big Ten school with a good club program and probably viable market...Illinois would make as much sense as any other new team." That's entirely different from the past year. The university is actually taking steps to plan a possible program. They may still be far from actually starting the program, but it's not the same "nothing speak" that used to be the staple of the annual "who should add D-I men's hockey?" discussions.

 

[joecct]

There will likely be plenty more talking before anything concrete happens. ASU had a several year head start and look where they are now. Illinois wouldn't face the "find a conference" struggle but hopefully they are learning from ASU's plan (or lack there-of) of creating a team before they had a place to play and a conference to join. Hopefully all this excitement isn't going to end up like some of the NHL's recent expansion where new teams pop up like a wild fire and then years later they burn out and die. The NCAA isn't going to prop up a team on life-support like the NHL did in AZ.

Ryan

See MAAC.

 

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

See MAAC.

Yeah, most of the teams survived, but true, that conference was a flash in the pan from a lifespan perspective.
Stick taps for the MAAC... and Fairfield (never even seen one of their jerseys) / Iona.
Ryan

<center><img width=300 src="http://www.johnsonsjerseys.net/hockey/ncaa/ah/cac03_f.jpg"> <img width=300 src="http://www.johnsonsjerseys.net/hockey/ncaa/ah/aic02_f.jpg"> <img width=300 src="http://www.johnsonsjerseys.net/hockey/ncaa/ah/chc23_f.jpg"> <img width=300 src="http://www.johnsonsjerseys.net/hockey/ncaa/ah/ioc20_f.jpg"> <img width=300 src="http://www.johnsonsjerseys.net/hockey/ncaa/ah/mec11_f.jpg"> <img width=300 src="http://www.johnsonsjerseys.net/hockey/ncaa/ah/quu08_f.jpg"> <img width=300 src="http://www.johnsonsjerseys.net/hockey/ncaa/ah/shu04_f.jpg"> <img width=300 src="http://www.johnsonsjerseys.net/hockey/ncaa/ah/uco24_f.jpg"> </center>

 

[gfmorris]

Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

Yeah, most of the teams survived, but true, that conference was a flash in the pan from a lifespan perspective.
Stick taps for the MAAC... and Fairfield (never even seen one of their jerseys) / Iona.

I never will forget blitzing their kids here and their program getting shut down the next Tuesday. The kids and coaches had to know by that point. I've seen it — it's tough. That won't happen to a BI7 team, though.

GFM

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

I thought we had a general “college hockey expansion” thread somewhere, but I can’t find it quickly so I’ll post this here instead:

UWGB (where the opportunity passed about 30 years ago), is looking at football, not hockey. Although I hope someone over there realizes that (despite a better market for football), Green Bay already has the arena and hockey would have fewer Title IX issues.

https://www.greenbaypressgazette.co...s-first-year-football-part-future/1739232002/

 

[davyd83]

I thought we had a general “college hockey expansion” thread somewhere, but I can’t find it quickly so I’ll post this here instead:

UWGB (where the opportunity passed about 30 years ago), is looking at football, not hockey. Although I hope someone over there realizes that (despite a better market for football), Green Bay already has the arena and hockey would have fewer Title IX issues.

https://www.greenbaypressgazette.co...s-first-year-football-part-future/1739232002/

Attemdance has been OK when the Badgers and NMU have played there in recent years. Now, does the Resch have the dates available for the Gamblers, UWGB basketball AND a UWGB team, and then, are there enough butts to fill the seats at the Resch plus you also have a very successful St Norbert program at the Cornerstone plus the high school programs. There was a time before the previous AD came in that hockey was being given a serious look, and I’m told it was further along than many realized, but the AD came in and decided to upgrade the investment in basketball, and with the success those teams have had, it looks like the right choice for the school and the market.

 

[hockeyplayer1015]

Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

While I wouldn't consider this concrete info by any means...

At IceVegas Invitational, and had a chat with a player from UNLV's club team. I'm wearing an SLU Brock McBride jersey, and he happened to coach this kid in junior (Cornwall Colts). But in this chat, he mentioned that it is his understanding that Illinois may be declaring intentions to move to the Big 10, possibly as soon as this month, for 2 years from now. He also mentioned that while he had D-3 offers, he chose to come to UNLV because they are hoping to move to D-1 as well, possibly during his time there. He is a freshman from the Montreal area.

All of this is YMMV, FWIW, etc. But I found it interesting information.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

While I wouldn't consider this concrete info by any means...

At IceVegas Invitational, and had a chat with a player from UNLV's club team. I'm wearing an SLU Brock McBride jersey, and he happened to coach this kid in junior (Cornwall Colts). But in this chat, he mentioned that it is his understanding that Illinois may be declaring intentions to move to the Big 10, possibly as soon as this month, for 2 years from now. He also mentioned that while he had D-3 offers, he chose to come to UNLV because they are hoping to move to D-1 as well, possibly during his time there. He is a freshman from the Montreal area.

All of this is YMMV, FWIW, etc. But I found it interesting information.

If UNLV were to start a team, that would immediately open up conference possibilities for them and ASU. The western leagues have been formatting for the last weekend to be a bit of a "budget weekend" where you have the additional two games with your proximity partner. Phoenix and Vegas are a close (for western teams) bus ride away, I'd say about 4-5 hours. Might not be close enough for a home/home, but it's easier than a flight to any of the other locations. Then they'd be more attractive for something like the NCHC.

 

[hockeyplayer1015]

If UNLV were to start a team, that would immediately open up conference possibilities for them and ASU. The western leagues have been formatting for the last weekend to be a bit of a "budget weekend" where you have the additional two games with your proximity partner. Phoenix and Vegas are a close (for western teams) bus ride away, I'd say about 4-5 hours. Might not be close enough for a home/home, but it's easier than a flight to any of the other locations. Then they'd be more attractive for something like the NCHC.

I guess the VGK are quite supportive of UNLV's team. They use their practice facility as a rink, the VGK CEO is on the board and the team gets free admission to the NHL games. They play all over the country and he said there's rarely a bus trip. Seemed very happy with the state of the program and it's possibilities for success going forward.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

I guess the VGK are quite supportive of UNLV's team. They use their practice facility as a rink, the VGK CEO is on the board and the team gets free admission to the NHL games. They play all over the country and he said there's rarely a bus trip. Seemed very happy with the state of the program and it's possibilities for success going forward.

I suppose the next step, like ASU and PSU, is a cash infusion. If we see that, I'd say we're well on our way to UNLV having a varsity team.

 

[SunDevil Hockey]

Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

AD visiting PSU hockey for “R & D”

https://twitter.com/illiniad/status/1083898156843192321?s=21

 

[Split-N]

Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

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.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: U of Illinois AD & NHL joint press conference

I saw a university of Illinois hockey jersey last night at the Minnesota Notre Dame game

It must be happening