UIC was in the CCHA from 81-82 thru 95-96.

----- Original Message ----
From: HAMPTON <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 1:28:22 PM
Subject: Re: Center of Hockey

Bob Hamilton asked the following question in his thesis on college hockey;-)
> A question more interesting to me than why Syracuse has joined the ranks is
> why so many others have not?  The Illinois setting brings up both
> Northwestern U and the U of Illinois as prime candidates in many ways.
> Also, what stops programs like Ohio U., Penn State, Indiana and others that
> have had strong club hockey programs for years to stay club when colleges
> with similar characteristics have D1 ice hockey?

My answer is the Flames from University of Illinois, Chicago. The school has
250,000 students and at one point had a very good Division I hockey team
(called the Flames for the obvious reason of is location). I am not sure if
they were independent or part of the CCHA, but they unfortunately folded in
the mid 1990s. Thus any chancellor, with the exception of the one at the
University of Alabama, Huntsville (who should be a hero to all college
hockey fans), would consider DI hockey a major risk. To make that kind of
financial commitment (and to stand up to football, basketball, and all other
major sports who would not want such a drain on their budgets) should not be
expected unless there is substantial student, alumni, and financial support
for such a move, intramural broomball notwithstanding.

This is from the USCHO discussion board at by someone called "AJF"
http://board.uscho.com/showthread.php?p=2842858#post2842858
While I was living in Illinois I asked a reasonably high-ranking UIC
athletics official about the prospects for the return of hockey to UIC. He
said something to the effect of "never in a million years" even though he
was a supporter and fan of college hockey. He cited the financial commitment
- and in particular, the cost of scholarships for the out-of-state students
that comprised most of the team - as the major reason.

Hockey is a great sport, returning large benefits to those of us
passionately involved with it, like all those reading this. However, the
costs are also large, and DI hockey can be classified as nothing but a risky
venture. College presidents are not in the business of risky ventures, nor
do they have the stomach or onions for them. So though we can always think
of reasons  "why not" to have DI hockey, they do not come close to the
reasons for "why not" by those who have to make the decision.

Nathan Hampton 
  





 
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