Iowa State ACHA Team to Make Jump?

[SouthSideHockey]

There are rumors circulating around Iowa State's program that they may decide to make the move to the NCAA within a 5 year period. The rumors didn't seem to have much merit until some big time Iowa State boosters started to put their weight behind ISU Hockey.

Also with AD Jamie Pollard, formerly an assistant AD at Wisconsin, being around and making changes, is rumored to have said he would bring hockey up before bringing back baseball. Bold statement from an AD in a midwestern state.

The ACHA team hasn't won a title since 1992. But, with Iowa housing the very best of the USHL, it would make sense to create a new team from scratch with 18 scholarships. Many of the USHL coaches and some college coaches agree that Iowa is ready for Division 1 college hockey.

Iowa, a state with nothing higher than an AHL team or AAA Baseball, has always been a college crazy area. To add NCAA D1 hockey to the mix is starting to get some folks excited. Also with the great attendance numbers from the USHL teams, people are beginning to think that hockey is going to work in Ames. The current team gets a decent draw, but with the budget of a D1 team and the support of the Athletic Department, those numbers would skyrocket.

It sounds like the wheels are in motion on this one, so keep your eyes peeled.

[CrazierEddie]

There are rumors circulating around Iowa State's program that they may decide to make the move to the NCAA within a 5 year period. The rumors didn't seem to have much merit until some big time Iowa State boosters started to put their weight behind ISU Hockey.

Also with AD Jamie Pollard, formerly an assistant AD at Wisconsin, being around and making changes, is rumored to have said he would bring hockey up before bringing back baseball. Bold statement from an AD in a midwestern state.

The ACHA team hasn't won a title since 1992. But, with Iowa housing the very best of the USHL, it would make sense to create a new team from scratch with 18 scholarships. Many of the USHL coaches and some college coaches agree that Iowa is ready for Division 1 college hockey.

Iowa, a state with nothing higher than an AHL team or AAA Baseball, has always been a college crazy area. To add NCAA D1 hockey to the mix is starting to get some folks excited. Also with the great attendance numbers from the USHL teams, people are beginning to think that hockey is going to work in Ames. The current team gets a decent draw, but with the budget of a D1 team and the support of the Athletic Department, those numbers would skyrocket.

It sounds like the wheels are in motion on this one, so keep your eyes peeled.


Please furninsh a published, reputable source.

[MikeAnderson]

Please furninsh a published, reputable source.

Something to consider as the flames are fanned: College Hockey America's conference tournament is in Des Moines this season.

[thebrain]

Club teams don't "Jump" to DI...DI teams are created.

[CrazierEddie]

Something to consider as the flames are fanned: College Hockey America's conference tournament is in Des Moines this season.

Well there's a smokin' ***** gun! For all the years that the ECAC tournament was in Lake Placid, I never heard that Paul Smith's College was "making the jump" as all the club hockey bandwagon dolts say. Does that mean that every time a Dunkin' Donuts opens, you consider the possibility that a Tim Horton's and a KrispyKreme are opening in the same neighborhood? :rolleyes:

Without statements from an AD, articles in a local paper, things on a school website (and not the club website, because anyone who has looked at a club team's website knows that they are all looking at "making the jump" in the next four years) the rumor is one idiot posting on a message board, and that's all it is.:rolleyes:

[SouthSideHockey]

Don't know how reputable this is. But is from ISU's Scout.com site:

http://iowastate.scout.com/2/600303.html

http://iowastate.scout.com/2/602152.html

I agree that the team's don't make the jump per se. But if there was no club team to begin with, it wouldn't be a conversation at all. One thing that furthers my suspicion is that in the 05-06 season, Iowa State was taken off of club status. Iowa State now classifies them as a non-scholarship team sport. They are governed by the university, not the rec services department or the student government. So it appears steps are being made.

[buoldtimer]

There are rumors circulating around Iowa State's program that they may decide to make the move to the NCAA within a 5 year period. The rumors didn't seem to have much merit until some big time Iowa State boosters started to put their weight behind ISU Hockey.

Also with AD Jamie Pollard, formerly an assistant AD at Wisconsin, being around and making changes, is rumored to have said he would bring hockey up before bringing back baseball. Bold statement from an AD in a midwestern state.

The ACHA team hasn't won a title since 1992. But, with Iowa housing the very best of the USHL, it would make sense to create a new team from scratch with 18 scholarships. Many of the USHL coaches and some college coaches agree that Iowa is ready for Division 1 college hockey.

Iowa, a state with nothing higher than an AHL team or AAA Baseball, has always been a college crazy area. To add NCAA D1 hockey to the mix is starting to get some folks excited. Also with the great attendance numbers from the USHL teams, people are beginning to think that hockey is going to work in Ames. The current team gets a decent draw, but with the budget of a D1 team and the support of the Athletic Department, those numbers would skyrocket.

It sounds like the wheels are in motion on this one, so keep your eyes peeled.

Didn't ISU play D1 hockey many years ago? (late '70's, early '80's)

[MikeAnderson]

Well there's a smokin' ***** gun! For all the years that the ECAC tournament was in Lake Placid, I never heard that Paul Smith's College was "making the jump" as all the club hockey bandwagon dolts say. Does that mean that every time a Dunkin' Donuts opens, you consider the possibility that a Tim Horton's and a KrispyKreme are opening in the same neighborhood? :rolleyes:

Without statements from an AD, articles in a local paper, things on a school website (and not the club website, because anyone who has looked at a club team's website knows that they are all looking at "making the jump" in the next four years) the rumor is one idiot posting on a message board, and that's all it is.:rolleyes:

Kindly clean the sand out of your crotch.

[Hux]

Please furninsh a published, reputable source.

Wait till Monday, or Tuesday at the latest, and Moose will have something to report.

[CrazierEddie]

Didn't ISU play D1 hockey many years ago? (late '70's, early '80's)

No, they have never played real college hockey.

[CrazierEddie]

Don't know how reputable this is. But is from ISU's Scout.com site:

http://iowastate.scout.com/2/600303.html

http://iowastate.scout.com/2/602152.html

I agree that the team's don't make the jump per se. But if there was no club team to begin with, it wouldn't be a conversation at all. One thing that furthers my suspicion is that in the 05-06 season, Iowa State was taken off of club status. Iowa State now classifies them as a non-scholarship team sport. They are governed by the university, not the rec services department or the student government. So it appears steps are being made.

They are still in the ACHA, which means they are as close to real college hockey as ever other ACHA school.

[Star2City]

One thing that furthers my suspicion is that in the 05-06 season, Iowa State was taken off of club status. Iowa State now classifies them as a non-scholarship team sport. They are governed by the university, not the rec services department or the student government. So it appears steps are being made.
Can you show a link to this? If hockey has been classified as a non-scholarship team sport by ISU, that seemingly would have had Title IX implications. ISU's reports to the government do not reflect this.

[SouthSideHockey]

Actually it has nothing to do with Title IX. Since the hockey team is not run by the school's athletic department and is still unable to dole out scholarships it is a separate matter. They are not a dues paying club team, but are still a non-scholarship sport with University sponsorship.

Iowa State's Athletic Department has no control over hockey, but Iowa State University does. Confusing, yes, but thats how its been for the last year and a half. It is my understanding that the team was seeking its own identity and the university obliged due to the rich tradition and the team's strong adherence to the importance of academics.

They receive minimal funding from ISU, but are able to keep everything they make from ad sales, ticket sales, independent donations, and so on. Most ACHA teams are like that I believe.

I still don't understand the disdain for ACHA hockey. There are a lot of good players and always exciting games when you talk about the teams in the Top 20. Ohio vs. Penn State, Illinois vs. Iowa State, Arizona vs. Arizona St. those are some great games to witness. The guys who didn't get to make it to a NCAA team still get to play the game they love. I don't see whats so wrong with that.

[moose97]

Actually it has nothing to do with Title IX. Since the hockey team is not run by the school's athletic department and is still unable to dole out scholarships it is a separate matter. They are not a dues paying club team, but are still a non-scholarship sport with University sponsorship.

Iowa State's Athletic Department has no control over hockey, but Iowa State University does. Confusing, yes, but thats how its been for the last year and a half. It is my understanding that the team was seeking its own identity and the university obliged due to the rich tradition and the team's strong adherence to the importance of academics.

They receive minimal funding from ISU, but are able to keep everything they make from ad sales, ticket sales, independent donations, and so on. Most ACHA teams are like that I believe.

I still don't understand the disdain for ACHA hockey. There are a lot of good players and always exciting games when you talk about the teams in the Top 20. Ohio vs. Penn State, Illinois vs. Iowa State, Arizona vs. Arizona St. those are some great games to witness. The guys who didn't get to make it to a NCAA team still get to play the game they love. I don't see whats so wrong with that.

See, you have to understand Title IX to see why it has been brought up...

Note the Wikipedia entry on Title IX (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_ix)... Note specifically that it states that Title IX's "original statute made no reference to athletics." In fact, the origional purpose, it can be argued, was to ensure that students had equal access to education programs.

By taking the "club" hockey program under the controll of Iowa State University, and away from the club program, it instantly becomes governed by Title IX requirements. If I were a female hockey player, and knew for a fact that the University were controlling the "club" hockey team at ISU, a lawsuit could force the University to sponsor women's "club" hockey...

Moose

[Rhett]

I agree that the team's don't make the jump per se. But if there was no club team to begin with, it wouldn't be a conversation at all.

Not necessarily true... see Franklin Pierce College for at least one recent example. They announced D-I hockey before they ever had a club team.

[Rhett]

I still don't understand the disdain for ACHA hockey. There are a lot of good players and always exciting games when you talk about the teams in the Top 20. Ohio vs. Penn State, Illinois vs. Iowa State, Arizona vs. Arizona St. those are some great games to witness. The guys who didn't get to make it to a NCAA team still get to play the game they love. I don't see whats so wrong with that.

Most of us don't have disdain for club hockey, but we have disdain for the plethora of club supporters who don't know what they're talking about and start spouting the same rumors that float around every ACHA team as if there was something substantive behind their claims.

[SouthSideHockey]

Not necessarily true... see Franklin Pierce College for at least one recent example. They announced D-I hockey before they ever had a club team.

I'm talking about at a Big XII school. Smaller colleges are able to bring hockey in as a D1 sport because its cheaper than D1 Football or Basketball and still brings in fans. A major collegiate conference school won't just sprout up a hockey team.

And I agree, there are a lot of folks out there that have no clue what they are talking about. But this rumor has a little more substance to it than most. I'd say Penn State and ISU are the only major conference schools that are going to be able to do this in the nearer future.

I've been following the ISU program for about 5 years. There are about 3 major Iowa State boosters that are ready to front the money right now for scholarships and a new facility. I definitely wouldn't be posting this if it wasn't a little more than a rumor.

[icefan27]

Not necessarily true... see Franklin Pierce College for at least one recent example. They announced D-I hockey before they ever had a club team.

They are not D-I, they are D-II team playing a D-II schedule. There is a big difference.

[CrazierEddie]

I've been following the ISU program for about 5 years. There are about 3 major Iowa State boosters that are ready to front the money right now for scholarships and a new facility. I definitely wouldn't be posting this if it wasn't a little more than a rumor.

A few questions:

Do these boosters know that you think that they are going to front said money?

Do you know the approximate annual operating budget of a real college hockey team?

Do you know the real contruction and annual operation cost for a legitimate real college hockey facility?

Do you really think that D-I basketball is CHEAPER than hockey?

Are you Larry E. Bloom with better grammar?

If the answer to the first three is yes, and someone reputable publishes the same, with cited sources, it might be vaguely credible.

If that answer to number four is yes, you should go join the person mentioned in number five on the banned list.

[SouthSideHockey]

Well...I guess you better ban me for supporting the expansion of Division 1 college hockey to bigger schools in middle America.

If you don't believe me, that's fine. This is a message board, not the top notch place for information, I know that. But I thought I'd just share with the general hockey loving public what is being talked about in Ames.

You'll start hearing about it more soon. This time from your reputable news sources.