Tennessee State University (TSU) is adding a new sport to its athletic program.
TSU will be the first HBCU with an ice hockey team, Sports Illustrated reports. The announcement will be made during a conference at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on June 28. TSU President Dr. Glenda Glover, Athletic Director Dr. Mikki Allen, and the National Hockey League’s Vice President of Hockey Development and Strategic Collaboration, Kevin Westgarth, will be present.
And, yes, the hockey program already has a Twitter account.
The National Hockey League, National Hockey League Players Association, and the Nashville Predators are partnering with the school. The idea for a hockey program started in May 2021 after the organizations said they would conduct a feasibility study in order to determine whether a varsity men’s and women’s hockey teams could be established at Tennessee State.
In February 2023, Allen and Predators president and CEO Sean Henry announced a fundraising campaign to launch the hockey programs. All funding will go toward scholarships, an on-campus venue, equipment, travel and other related expenses. The amount of how much was essentially needed to support a team of this magnitude or when the program will start has not been announced yet.
TSU and the Nashville Predators already host several events, including Black History Nights and scholarship events including the “$1 million in 1 month” fundraising scholarship campaign for TSU students, according to HBCU Sports.
“The idea of establishing a collegiate hockey program at TSU is a tremendous opportunity as the nation’s first HBCU to take on this endeavor,” Glover said. “This allows us to expand the sport, increase diversity, and introduce a new fan base.”
Out of 109 HBCUs in the United States, none have offered organized hockey at any level.