I wish UA look into Hockey...It wont ever happen

[GreatDanes06]

I jsut wish UA would look into possibly building a hockey program. So many of the AE teams and NEC teams have hockey programs, along with RPI, i think it would get good turn outs. It would need to be a slow process. I just think with being in the Northeast, and being near Maine, Vermont, Mass, RI and these areas, in a slow process, UA could develop into a strong hockey program. HOWEVER, I KNOW IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. but i just wanted to say it...hahahaha

[UAalum72]

Hockey's pretty expensive, especially without an on-campus rink, and you have to add a women's team as well, but you've got to start somewhere.

UAlbany Ice Hockey Club

[Dane Pound]

Right now there are a lot of other places I'd rather see that money go. Until all our programs are well funded (i.e. football scholarships) I don't think UA will be starting any new ventures in hockey.

 

I had a roomate on the Albany Club hockey team so I saw alot of those games when I was there. If you really want to see some hockey. They used to play $iena and some other local schools.

[DaneFan2k3]

What a hassle hockey would be! If you all are already complaining that not enough resources are going into promoting the games, just wait until you have to promote games at a rink offcampus, where students and administration would have to travel and pay rent to use the rink!

[Dane96]

This will only happen if three things occur. One, we get corporate sponsors or we are in the black. Two, UA continues its steady expansion into the Harriman campus. Three, UA builds a 3500 seat rink on campus....something they should explore....because of the $$$ you can get (see BU where I skate all the time) for rental and public skate time. They may even be able to make it a public rink and use state funds to build it.

 

It is, however, a long shot. Ice time runs $180-$250 an hour....very expensive to rent. We cut a deal out in Belmont, a 'burb of Boston for 130p/h for our Suffolk team. Hockey equipment costs are flat out super high....much higher than football (though only 20-25 guys will be carried). Travel....negligble cost.

 

It can be done....but not for about 5-10 yrs.

[DaneFan2k3]

I wish there were more professors on the board. Their heads might explode with all the academic cutting going on and the lack of raises in the state system.

[Dane96]

Blah,blah.....we just started the first forensic institute in the northeast and the first nanotech school in the WORLD! And we still have 7 programs ranked in the top 25.

 

If the profs dont like it....go to private schools....where there is a wonderful amount of tenure oppty. (COUGH, COUGH).

 

More kids want to come because they hear about UA in Espn, SI, etc. The more kids that come, the more $$. The more $$$ the more life sciences are built.

 

D2k...I have sat on the NYS Assembly higher ed board (as a fill in for the Assemblyman I worked for) and we have heard this before. Every state does it. Last I looked....not one athletic facility was upgraded w/o the Giants until the rehab of the floor (which no doubt cost UA insurance $$ for the injured athletes). All the new things that have occured on campus in the last 7-8 years (disregarding the move to D1 which increased the budget by about 3-4mm) have been academically related.

 

The new Forbes classroom, sculpture studio, Business getting the Admins out and getting there own building, UPD, Life Sciences, upgrades in Physics and Atmospheric Sciences facilities, the Life Sciences library, the creation of CESTM, the aforementioned programs, upgrades to the Nelson Rockefeller school.

 

Those profs are lucky they got that stuff to begin with. College should be a well rounded endevour. Further, you full well know that only a small pct. of our overall operating budget comes from the State. Up until 1992, no state funds could go to athletic scholarships. Still, today, those funds are limited. Please, these PROFS have gotten a "free ride" for about 150 years w/o the instrusion of sports.

 

Go ask Profs at UMASS or UCONN how they feel.

[GeogPlanner]

There is a demand for multi-purpose ice/blade/soccer rinks. I was working in Central NY about 2 years ago and they wanted to build a 3 couple sheets of ice. So from that perspective, it's not a huge stretch. But I'd rather see programs like wrestling and swimming/diving return first.

[Dane96]

Wrestling? Swimming? Diving? That would be a terrible approach by the school. Both sports are non-revenue producing (opposed to hockey which probably could make some $$$). Further, wrestling is a dying sport unless you live in the Midwest. I attended UA during some good years and then the bad (the dismantling). I had a few good friends on the team. There simply was ZERO support for a squad that was nationally ranked and produced All-American, Olympic, and World Champs. It is a sport that never will either. Just the breaks.

[BrindleDane]

in case you havnt noticed, the nhl is basically dead. interest in hockey is very limited to a certain audience. I would rather have scholarship football than hockey. better use of the money.

[Dane96]

In case you read the thread, we talked about hockey on top of scholarship football. The NHL will be back soon. I just sat in on an agent meeting and the owners are not happy with Bettman right now.