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Inch Sources: Penn State Will Add Varsity Hockey

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  • Inch Sources: Penn State Will Add Varsity Hockey

    Inside College Hockey

    This news is for all the folks who were never going to read the other PSU thread rumors.
    September 12, 2010
    Sources: Penn State Will Add Varsity Hockey
    By Mike Eidelbes and Jess Myers
    In a move that will significantly alter the college hockey landscape, the formal announcement of Penn State’s plans to launch of a men’s hockey program is imminent, sources tell Inside College Hockey.

    Multiple sources in college and junior hockey, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the plan; one source told INCH that the university will make a formal announcement this Friday. A Penn State spokesperson late last week declined to comment on the matter.

    With an enrollment of approximately 45,000 students at its State College campus, including nearly 39,000 undergraduates, Penn State would become the second-largest institution in the United States to offer Division I men’s college hockey—only Ohio State, with more than 52,000 students at its Columbus campus, is bigger. The Nittany Lions would become the 59th Division I men’s hockey program.

    “It is great for the sport,” WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod said, while stopping short of confirming the plans. “A program of that stature to potentially add a Division I men’s hockey program is an exciting thing for the sport.”

    While a university with the name recognition of Penn State adding a varsity program can only help the profile of college hockey, the impact on current conference configurations, especially the CCHA and WCHA, could be significant. Penn State would join Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Wisconsin as the sixth Big Ten Conference institution to sponsor varsity hockey. That’s the minimum number of schools required by the NCAA for a conference to award automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, and the Big Ten covets hockey for its wildly successful television network.

    “At this point we’re not permitted to say a whole lot but we certainly acknowledge the fact that we have had direct contact from a WCHA standpoint with Penn State,” McLeod said. “We’re all well aware of the ramifications … of having a sixth Big Ten hockey school, and what that means for a lot of us.

    “Behind the scenes the WCHA has done a lot of homework, had a good discussion with our coaches about the circumstances, and we’re trying to be proactive on a number of issues that are going to be the fallout from Penn State starting hockey.”

    Last month, CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos told the Detroit News that the league was interested in adding Penn State as a 12th member. Because of its profile, location and success at the club-sport level, Penn State has long been identified as a potential candidate to add the sport at the varsity level.

    “They are a very attractive choice—very attractive,” Anastos said. “They’re in a different market than we’re in, more and more U.S. players are on college rosters, and there’s tremendous growth of the sport in Pennsylvania.”

    Penn State has long been rumored to be a candidate to add a varsity hockey program, but an article that appeared in the Altoona (Pa.) Mirror last month put that speculation into high gear. Citing a single anonymous source, the Mirror reported Penn State would add both men’s and women’s varsity ice hockey and build a new ice arena. The Penn State Ice Pavilion, the current home to the school’s club programs, can accommodate 1,350 fans. The Mirror report stated that the university would build a rink that would seat 6,000-8,000 people.

    The state of Pennsylvania has already been home to one significant piece of offseason news: Pittsburgh and Philadelphia will host the 2013 and ’14 NCAA Frozen Fours. This announcement could have an even greater long-term impact on the sport.
    Slap Shot - 444 might want to consider a restraining order.
    dggoddard - Minnesota is THE ELITE Program in all of college hockey.
    wasmania - you have to be the very best to get ice time with the great gophers!

  • #2
    Re: Inch Sources: Penn State Will Add Varsity Hockey

    And in other news, Joe Thorton was traded....
    bueller: Why is the sunset good? Why are boobs good? Why does Positrack work? Why does Ferris lose on the road and play dead at home?

    It just happens.


    nmupiccdiva: I'm sorry I missed you this weekend! I thought I saw you at the football game, but I didn't want to go up to a complete stranger and ask "are you Monster?" and have it not be you!

    leswp1: you need the Monster to fix you

    Life is active, find Balance!massage therapy Ann Arbor

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Inch Sources: Penn State Will Add Varsity Hockey

      Originally posted by bigmrg74 View Post
      And in other news, Joe Thorton was traded....
      Who is Joe Thorton?
      Slap Shot - 444 might want to consider a restraining order.
      dggoddard - Minnesota is THE ELITE Program in all of college hockey.
      wasmania - you have to be the very best to get ice time with the great gophers!

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Inch Sources: Penn State Will Add Varsity Hockey

        I like it.
        Bring on the new super-WCHA after we remove the fluff.

        Seriously though, welcome to college hockey PSU.
        I like chocolate milk and Kate Beckinsale and Lauren Graham and Brooke Burke and Elisha Cuthbert and Eva Longoria.

        Fighting Sioux Hockey

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Inch Sources: Penn State Will Add Varsity Hockey

          Originally posted by 4four4 View Post
          Who is Joe Thorton?
          I don't know, but he's getting traded!!
          bueller: Why is the sunset good? Why are boobs good? Why does Positrack work? Why does Ferris lose on the road and play dead at home?

          It just happens.


          nmupiccdiva: I'm sorry I missed you this weekend! I thought I saw you at the football game, but I didn't want to go up to a complete stranger and ask "are you Monster?" and have it not be you!

          leswp1: you need the Monster to fix you

          Life is active, find Balance!massage therapy Ann Arbor

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Inch Sources: Penn State Will Add Varsity Hockey

            Originally posted by bigmrg74 View Post
            I don't know, but he's getting traded!!
            The rumors that Sidey Crosby is ivolved are usubstatiated.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Inch Sources: Penn State Will Add Varsity Hockey

              This should make all of the Penn State t-shirt fans here very excited. At least it gives us college hockey options besides Princeton. Super.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Inch Sources: Penn State Will Add Varsity Hockey

                Originally posted by owslachief View Post
                The rumors that Sidey Crosby is ivolved are usubstatiated.
                vanna, i'd like to buy an eN
                a legend and an out of work bum look a lot alike, daddy.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Inch Sources: Penn State Will Add Varsity Hockey

                  bump
                  Originally posted by mtu_huskies
                  "We are not too far away from a national championship," said (John) Scott.
                  Boosh Factor 4

                  Originally posted by Brent Hoven
                  Yeah, but you're my favorite hag.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Inch Sources: Penn State Will Add Varsity Hockey

                    Why is Penn State adding hockey? I didnt hear any of this until now.

                    Can we demote Providence out of Hockey Rast?
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