Alabama-Huntsville drops D1 hockey program
Sad and certainly felt like this was a slow death for UAH that was finally snuffed out by COVID-19 related budget constraints - UAH also dropped men's and women's tennis at the same time. They've been an unwanted team by many of the leagues since the CHA collapsed in 2010ish. It felt like maybe they had some hope when the WCHA picked them up, but unsurprisingly it was a lot to manage with an Alabama team and two Alaska teams in the same league.
I think there was optimism in the hockey community that D1 would continue to grow with the recent adds of ASU and LIU, but you gotta wonder now if more small programs are in jeopardy right now. Alaska cancelled and then un-cancelled their programs recently. Gotta wonder where they're at right now too. Not a cheap sport to run
It’s too bad to see as I’m one of those that want to see hockey expand. But as you mentioned it was tough for them logistically to maintain a team
Unfortunate, but I can't understand why they existed in the 1st place.
Because Huntsville is full of transplants. It's an oasis in the bubba zone. There are lots of people there because of engineering jobs who came from a hockey culture and brought that with them.
There was a time when UAH was a decent club as well.
I run into other Michigan people down here in Huntsville on nearly a daily basis - on the days I leave the house, that is. A friend of a friend here even made me some Michigan masks for when I do have to go out..
Obligatory user name checks out.
I heard Maine and Alaska were on the verge of canceling their surfing programs, too. Sad day..
This just in, Chattanooga cancels both men's and women's curling.
The day Alaska drops beach volleyball will be a sad day indeed
Wait til y'all hear about Colorado St.'s sailing program...
Iowa dropped the mountain climbing team too. It's a shame really
When I was in school in Missouri, the student union organized a weekend ski trip to Iowa. Despite being someone who learned to see on a literal hill of garbage (Mt Brighton), I couldn't in good conscience sign up.
More schools should look at Div 2 and 3. Having the varsity sports you want is a lot easier when you don't have to piss money away in the "revenue sports" to keep up with the Jones. My alma matter fields varsity football, men's and women's hockey, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's lacrosse, and an assortment of other teams for a school with fewer than 1500 students. I wouldn't trade my four years of college swimming for anything.
Those non-revenue sports are paid for by what's left after the "revenue sports" are done pissing.
Nope, football and basketball lose money at most Div 1 schools. Michigan is different in that respect, and I'm not talking about Power 5 schools. I'm saying some schools currently in Div 1 would spend less and have a more balanced athletic department if they dropped down to Div 2.
Being a former UAH player, this news hits hard but not entirely unexpected. It’s because of UAH that I met my wife and have two wonderful children. I received a great education (not only in the classroom but in life as well. It was culture shock moving 700 miles south from Michigan).
The university never put the resources into the program to have success at the division 1 level. It is hard enough to recruit vs the big boys in any sport, but especially difficult when whispers circulate about conference affiliation, dropping the program etc.
we had hope recently as the board of trustees approved a plan for an on campus arena. This would have went a long way in solidifying their future. From what I had heard, the WCHA members were unsure of the university’s commitment to upgrading the program...I guess they were correct. You have to be 10 toes in and that certainly was not what UAH was going.
it goes without saying that I feel badly for the current roster of players. I also feel badly for future kids who are looking to play college hockey. The sport lost scholarships and that is never a good thing in my book.
When did you play? I lived in Huntsville from 1989 to 1996. If you played then I may have seen you on the ice. After Ann Arbor, I moved to Colorado before going to Huntsville and back to Colorado to stay. Soon after I arrived some colleagues asked if I wanted to go to a hockey game. I was surprised to discover hockey in Dixie. That first game was against the Air Force Academy... from Colorado.
I think its too bad that DII hockey has not returned and/or expanded. I think that was UAH's sweet spot.
Darn. This was my 4th favorite D1 hockey program.
Apparently, there has been a petition started to save the program.
https://www.waff.com/2020/05/24/petition-started-save-uah-hockey-program/