New Hawkeye Sport... Hockey?

I've been a Blackhawks fan since the early 90s, played hockey in my youth and in high school, and still follow the Blackhawks.

It would be interesting to see Iowa throw their hat in the ring.. but there are A LOT of Midwest teams that are already considered major players. We'd definitely take our lickings.
 
Churlish79 said:
I've been a Blackhawks fan since the early 90s, played hockey in my youth and in high school, and still follow the Blackhawks.

It would be interesting to see Iowa throw their hat in the ring.. but there are A LOT of Midwest teams that are already considered major players. We'd definitely take our lickings.
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True. But hell, it'd be worth it for me just to have teams like Wisconsin/Minnesota/etc. coming to town.
 
The Michigan Directionals, Neb-Omaha, ND, North Dakota.. all top programs.

In addition to Minny and Mich (Look out for them this year), Wisco, Mich State... We could probably be competitive against Ohio State and the future Penn State team.
 
Kelly Beaton
A blurb in the St.PaulPioneerPress this wk: "The buzz is...U.of Iowa is considering a hockey program 2 join Big 10 (around) 2013."Waste of $
 
id have to believe that once the start up costs are written off hockey would be self sustaining at the men's level.
 
I'm sure, lots of equipment, and you have a coaching for at least a year out recruiting before you'd have a single home game.
 
Heard they might start up in D1. This would, in my opinion, be great. I never could figure out why they never had a team before, with the hotbeds being so close by, but figured it has something to do with the lack of teams and availability in iowa at the peewee and junior levels.

One of my favorite live event outings in colorado was going to Denver University games (a well as Colorado Avs games of coarse). Small school who has for many, many years been one of the most competitive on the ncaa hockey scene. Fun games, and they used to sell beer at games, which didnt hurt. Count me in as a U of I hockey fan!
 
I think it would be an instant success. Pretty good fan base, a decent recruiting base, and more and more high schools are picking up the sport. Plus it is a sport where you could do both mens and womens to keep scholarships balanced.
 
I'd love D1 hockey to come to Iowa. I enjoy watching college hockey without having a dog in the fiight. I'd definitely go watch the hawks take on the likes of Minnesota and St. Cloud State. I'd like to see them play North Dakota, but I don't think the U would let the Hawks play The Fighting Sioux
 
i keep seeing the hockey "hotbeds" being talked about in this thread. Successful hockey programs start with strong youth hockey and general hockey interesest in the area. this is where the state of Iowa is lacking, big time. and it's really a population issue more than anything. Just look at high school hockey. there's 1 conference with like 8 teams in it spanning the entire state and even down to Kansas city. that's the complete opposite of a hotbed if you ask me. and if you think all the kids that play for the rough riders, buccaneers, etc. are just dying to play hockey at a start up program that will likely be in last place for quite some time if they do start it, you're kidding yourself. ever see where most of those players are from? Canada, Minny, wisconsin, Michigan, the Northeast, etc. they're playing juniors in Iowa because they can't make the teams that are closer to home. most of those kids are playing Junior A and Junior B because they can't get on a D1 squad anywhere. Juniors is essentially developmental league for college in hockey, like an AAU for MBB. kids that are better than HS, but not quite good enough to cut it yet at a higher level (thats why the age limit is 16-21)

there is no way ever that Iowa could start a D1 program and compete with minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, MSU, or tOSU. not happening.
 
stevefrench said:
i keep seeing the hockey "hotbeds" being talked about in this thread. Successful hockey programs start with strong youth hockey and general hockey interesest in the area. this is where the state of Iowa is lacking, big time. and it's really a population issue more than anything. Just look at high school hockey. there's 1 conference with like 8 teams in it spanning the entire state and even down to Kansas city. that's the complete opposite of a hotbed if you ask me. and if you think all the kids that play for the rough riders, buccaneers, etc. are just dying to play hockey at a start up program that will likely be in last place for quite some time if they do start it, you're kidding yourself. ever see where most of those players are from? Canada, Minny, wisconsin, Michigan, the Northeast, etc. they're playing juniors in Iowa because they can't make the teams that are closer to home. most of those kids are playing Junior A and Junior B because they can't get on a D1 squad anywhere. Juniors is essentially developmental league for college in hockey, like an AAU for MBB. kids that are better than HS, but not quite good enough to cut it yet at a higher level (thats why the age limit is 16-21)

there is no way ever that Iowa could start a D1 program and compete with minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, MSU, or tOSU. not happening.
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I agree the high school programs need work but USHL has been around for a long time and there is a lot of kids that go on to college from that league. I think that is why people consider Iowa a hotbed for recruiting.
 
ssckelley said:
I agree the high school programs need work but USHL has been around for a long time and there is a lot of kids that go on to college from that league. I think that is why people consider Iowa a hotbed for recruiting.
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every junior team probably has 2 or 3 kids that can hack it at the D1 level in any given year. so Iowa would have to recruit every one of those kids in the local "hotbed" and land every single one of them, pretty much every year in order to consistently have a 25 man roster filled with the caliber of player needed to be competitive against the Minnesota's and Wisconsin's of the hockey world. there just isn't near the talent here for it to work.

recruiting would make having a team that isnt a laughing stock hard enough, but then you have the initial cost of building a legit Arena on or close to campus. then you have the other problem of having to field a women's team to meet your title 9 criteria.

No way. they will remain a club team. it would just be a bad move overall by the university to even try this.
 
I read something the other day that said that 17 of the kids on Minnesota's rosters have already been drafted by NHL teams.

Iowa isn't going D1 in hockey.
 
If Iowa goes D1 in hockey I'll be the first in line to buy season tickets. It would be so freaking awesome. However, I'm not going to hold my breath on this one. As much as I would love to see it, I just don't see Iowa plunking down the cash for it. I sure hope I'm wrong though.
 
stevefrench said:
ssckelley said:
I agree the high school programs need work but USHL has been around for a long time and there is a lot of kids that go on to college from that league. I think that is why people consider Iowa a hotbed for recruiting.
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every junior team probably has 2 or 3 kids that can hack it at the D1 level in any given year. so Iowa would have to recruit every one of those kids in the local "hotbed" and land every single one of them, pretty much every year in order to consistently have a 25 man roster filled with the caliber of player needed to be competitive against the Minnesota's and Wisconsin's of the hockey world. there just isn't near the talent here for it to work. recruiting would make having a team that isnt a laughing stock hard enough, but then you have the initial cost of building a legit Arena on or close to campus. then you have the other problem of having to field a women's team to meet your title 9 criteria.No way. they will remain a club team. it would just be a bad move overall by the university to even try this.
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with no due respect nobody gives a rats *** what you think. if you had decent judgement you wouldn't be a ******* clownie. why dont you go do something useful with your time and talk about your baseball or men's swimming teams.

there are more than enough d1 recruits within a five hour drive of Iowa city to field a respectable team. I haven't seen anyone claim we would be competitive with the elite programs right away. everyone start somewhere.
 
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