UNLV seriously looking to add Hockey

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

Very interesting.

Probably an insta-NCHC member.

http://mayorsmanor.com/2015/12/more-hockey-in-vegas-unlv-looking-to-go-…

“It could be a year, and it could be three. The meetings are already happening,” Khan stated. “It’s really a matter of finding money, which, is available to us possibly here. (UNLV) is willing to listen, and willing to at least look at the possibility of making the jump.”

“We’re already in the meeting process. We’re meeting with a ton of local ‘heavyweights’, I would say, as far as the financial side of it,” said Khan. “This town has a lot of hidden hockey-passionate people. As much as it’s Las Vegas, (and) people think of it as a non-traditional market, it’s a hotbed for people who have been in hockey a long time. You get a lot of hockey people here.”

MGoBoard
Hockey

WCHBlog

December 5th, 2015 at 10:51 AM ^

No NCAA team besides maybe North Dakota could fill an NHL-size arena regularly. But the Thomas and Mack Center on UNLV's campus is capable of making ice(they host Disney on Ice stuff). Orleans Arena in Vegas also holds 7700 for hockey. 

As far as an arena goes, UNLV is in a lot better shape than Arizona State is--and the arena problem is the big hold-up with a conference taking ASU. So it's "only" a matter of UNLV raising the $30 million or so to cover costs of the progam.

Joined: 12/03/2008

MGoPoints: 4299

JJinDC

December 4th, 2015 at 11:20 PM ^

I've had just enough beer to discuss this. In general, I'm for any opportunity to spread college hockey and while I'm not privy to the LV hockey market, it's certainly interesting to hear the insider optimism. This would also test the grounds for an NHL team in LV.

Joined: 01/23/2015

MGoPoints: 70

justingoblue

December 4th, 2015 at 11:27 PM ^

I was thinking the same thing about the NHL. They're very good at working with USA Hockey, I wonder if some collaboration could happen to help out an NCAA team.

Also, college sports in general were deemed "gray area" way back in the day by Brian. This doesn't need an OT tag going by the rules (good rule of thumb is way more threads are labeled OT that don't need to be than actually are OT and don't have the tag).

Joined: 11/16/2010

MGoPoints: 29741

Alton

December 4th, 2015 at 11:47 PM ^

I have been following college hockey closely for a long time.  Every year, there are club hockey team coaches who assure gullible sportswriters that their club team is only 1 to 3 years of becoming a varsity team, and the story gets picked up by the national college hockey media.  In the last 30 years, exactly 1 club team (Arizona State) has been moved to varsity.  [NOTE:  Penn State did not move their club team to varsity; they created a varsity program from scratch]

So where are all of these programs that people claimed were just a couple of years from varsity hockey?  Still playing club hockey.  Where is UNLV hockey going to be in 3 years?  Same place as Syracuse, Illinois, Iowa State, and that school in Georgia that they talked about for a few years.

Joined: 07/05/2008

MGoPoints: 13273

Alton

December 5th, 2015 at 1:08 AM ^

Penn State had a club team.  Penn State now has a varsity team and also still has a club team. That club team did not move to varsity; Penn State kept their club team and added varsity hockey. 

Even if you count Penn State, though, you have 2 club teams going varsity in the last quarter century. I'm still betting UNLV won't be the third. 

Joined: 07/05/2008

MGoPoints: 13273

Alton

December 5th, 2015 at 7:36 AM ^

I don't disagree with any of the facts that you posted here.  I only disagree with the correct interpretation.  I acknowledge that my interpretation is not shared by everybody.

Perhaps I can re-phrase.  In 2011/12, Penn State had a club team but no varsity team.  In 2012/13, Penn State had both a club team and a varsity team.  So either (1) Penn State created a new club team and moved their club team to varsity, or (2) Penn State kept their club team as a club team and created a new varsity team. 

I think #2 is the correct interpretation of what happened; a majority of the returning players who were on the club team in 2011/12 ended up on the club team in 2012/13 (even though their coach was hired to coach varsitty). 

Joined: 07/05/2008

MGoPoints: 13273

Alton

December 5th, 2015 at 7:41 AM ^

Not a single player on Robert Morris' initial 2004/05 roster was on their club team in 2003/04.  On their 26-man roster, they had 24 Freshmen and 2 transfers (1 from Niagara and 1 from Findlay).  This is another case where I don't see how an observer can interpret what Robert Morris did as "converting the club team to varsity." 

Joined: 07/05/2008

MGoPoints: 13273

Clarence Beeks

December 5th, 2015 at 9:47 AM ^

Your original post said "where are all of these PROGRAMS that people claimed were just a couple of years from varsity hockey? Still playing club hockey." For RMU that is false when it comes to the PROGRAM (program does not equal players only). I have firsthand knowledge on this one.

I can see why you it might look like that from a "what it looks like" perspective if you just look at the roster, as in terms of roster that is correct, but it was in fact a conversion of the club program to varsity program. Club team ended (no longer existed) and varsity team started, with facilities, administrative staff, budget, etc all converted over. They'd already been in their arena for a number of years at that time; the only change was that they went from just using it to the university actually owning it (which was (is?) a requirement for moving to NCAA status).

Perhaps most astonishingly with RMU they converted from ACHA Division II to NCAA Division I (whereas Arizona State went from D1 to D1).



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 09/06/2008

MGoPoints: 22814

Clarence Beeks

December 5th, 2015 at 9:56 AM ^

I personally think the program aspect matters a lot more than the retaining/converting the players aspect. RMU had been gearing up for their conversion to NCAA for a number of years and were using the ACHA platform to get everything in order and ironed out administratively. They actually could have made the jump sooner but for delay on the facility purchase.



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 09/06/2008

MGoPoints: 22814

rainingmaize

December 4th, 2015 at 11:49 PM ^

I'm all for adding hockey into Las Vegas. With college hockey, it comes with little risk. However, I doubt UNLV has the financial resources to make it happen, unless they've been contacted by someone who has deep pockets and is a hockey nut. 

Joined: 04/13/2010

MGoPoints: 10458

Jack Hammer

December 5th, 2015 at 5:05 AM ^

I don't know a lot.  But I know people close to USA Hockey who are adamant that Vegas is a lock for pro hockey.   There are kids coming out of California, Seattle, Arizona that are D1/NHL talent every year.  I believe that Vegas Hockey makes sense.  So does Seattle.

Joined: 11/25/2014

MGoPoints: 24424

weasel3216

December 5th, 2015 at 9:22 AM ^

They have said for at least the last 5 years that Vegas is a hopefully nhl expansion city. I don't see it as a success. Much like Arizona and the Florida teams, their home games will be flooded with opposing fans. Which I guess is fine in terms of revenue, but what happens when you get Florida visiting Vegas. An empty arena. I just think it will be a failed attempt at either the nhl or NCAA level. Someone above mentioned USC and ucla which make more sense as there was a hockey explosion in LA after Gretzky came to town. I could also see Washington and Colorado (which I am actually surprised now that they don't, given CC and DU success) adding if a few others schools decided to add to create a pac-12 hockey.

Joined: 08/09/2009

MGoPoints: 3502

UofMfanJJ (not verified)

December 5th, 2015 at 6:45 PM ^

I don't care what the traditionalist college hockey fans want. I would love to see expansion to the sport if it means more hockey games on TV / exposure in the states.

Joined: 12/12/2017

MGoPoints: 0