Who's next for a move up to D1?

[jwheeler001]

I was doing some casual reading and came across this article from the USCHO in November 2025. Mainly it talks about CHL eligibility, but I found an interesting snippit

'College Hockey Inc. has completed three such confidential feasibility studies for men's programs this calendar year, and is beginning a women's study this week.'

'Yet interest in adding programs still remains. Hogan said that College Hockey Inc. is working with a school for which they had done a feasibility study eight years ago.'
(Not sure who this is, Maryville said their study was recent, and Tennesee State completed theirs in 2021)

 

[amkirby10]

I was doing some casual reading and came across this article from the USCHO in November 2025. Mainly it talks about CHL eligibility, but I found an interesting snippit

'College Hockey Inc. has completed three such confidential feasibility studies for men's programs this calendar year, and is beginning a women's study this week.'

'Yet interest in adding programs still remains. Hogan said that College Hockey Inc. is working with a school for which they had done a feasibility study eight years ago.'
(Not sure who this is, Maryville said their study was recent, and Tennesee State completed theirs in 2021)

Almost certainly is the Illinois Fighting Illini, would be my guess. They announced the completion of their feasibility study in early 2018, so it very well could have been done mostly in 2017, which was eight years ago from last year.

 

[jwheeler001]

Definitely could be. I found this article from Collegiate Consulting which lists Illinois, Oakland University, and 3 other institutions having completed feasibility studies in 2018. Oakland sounded like it stopped pursuing due to a combination of financials and their AD transition before the pandemic.