flatspin7 Posted April 30, 2003 Share Posted April 30, 2003 USCHO and the Fargo Forum reports that USD may be looking at starting up a DI hockey program. The team would compete (errrr play) in the CHA. Could be interesting. Distinct possibility or Long Shot? Discuss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fighting Sioux Fan Posted April 30, 2003 Share Posted April 30, 2003 There isn' a decent chance of this happening, I've never really thought of SD as much of a hockey state, but who knows. The CHA could use some more members also. They stated that they wanted to expand teh CHA two teams at a time, so I wonder who the other school would be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCM Posted April 30, 2003 Share Posted April 30, 2003 As I stated in another thread, I would be very surprised if this happens any time in the near future. Interestingly enough, there's no mention of this story on USD's Web site or any of the Web sites for the newspapers in Vermillion, Sioux Falls or Brookings where it should be news. It makes me wonder why the Fargo Forum thinks this newsworthy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BisonMav Posted April 30, 2003 Share Posted April 30, 2003 They would need an arena to play in or at least practice in near campus. Are Sioux Falls and Sioux City the nearest existing arena's? Every game could be a road trip for the student fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCM Posted April 30, 2003 Share Posted April 30, 2003 They would need an arena to play in or at least practice in near campus. Are Sioux Falls and Sioux City the nearest existing arena's? Every game could be a road trip for the student fans. I believe the nearest arena is in Sioux Falls, about 55 miles away. As I understand it, there currently is no indoor ice in Vermillion. USD just got done begging the SD legislature for the money to put a new roof on its aging Dakota Dome. If the school doesn't have the funds for that, it's difficult to imagine where the money for DI hockey would come from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCaptain Posted May 1, 2003 Share Posted May 1, 2003 I already posted this on another thread, but: How could the SF Arena find time for USD, the Stampede, and the Skyforce. They are already booked every Friday and Saturday throughout the hockey season. I also do not think there is enough hockey fans in SF to support the two teams. I'm all for the expansion of hockey in South Dakota and if USD does decide to go this route I wish them the best, but it seems highly unlikely. Also, there was an article earlier this year about the arena that said it cost thousands of dollars to switch between a basketball floor and the ice surface. I would think this would mean it would be very expensive to rent the arena for hockey. The would need atleast a million to build a practice rink, money for equipment, a zamboni, around 20 scholarships for hockey and another 20 to match it for women's sports, and they would have travel cost. The CHA is not exactly a regional conference with teams in Colorado, Alabama, Minnesota, Ohio, New York, and Michigan. It would make more sense for them to move to DI as a whole than add DI hockey. Let's see if they move to DI they would have to add a few more scholarships than hockey and increase travel cost, but it would still be cheaper and probably more profitable. South Dakota is about as much of a hockey state as New Mexico. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinnesotaNorthStar Posted May 1, 2003 Share Posted May 1, 2003 I don't think that we can count SD out just yet. I would never have thought that ND would have had a huge hockey following if I didn't watch D1 hockey has a kid. But I agree that the money is an issue, especially in the CHA. The City of Vermillion would have to build an arena for this to work out in the next few years, and I don't necessarily see that happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elmduf Posted May 1, 2003 Share Posted May 1, 2003 From what I understand the commissioner of the CHA is going around trying to sell hockey to various AD's in the country. He made a stop at Colorado State University within the past few months also. He's kind of like Professor Hill selling the idea of a boys band to unsuspecting AD's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WPoS Posted May 1, 2003 Share Posted May 1, 2003 Well for what it is worth, my nephew goes to school out there and he told me over Easter that they were going to have a hockey team...heck if Alabama Huntsville can have a program ther eis no reason they can't either?!??! WPoS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCM Posted May 1, 2003 Share Posted May 1, 2003 Well for what it is worth, my nephew goes to school out there and he told me over Easter that they were going to have a hockey team. So why isn't this news in South Dakota? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fighting Sioux Fan Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 I talked to my cousin who graduated from USD last year and he said that hockey is highly unlikey there. His biggest point was the arena situation. He said that they could barely get the money to put a new roof on thier dome, although Gateway offered to pay for it if they let them paint the ceiling like a cow. So if they want a new hockey arena, they might need some corporate sponsorship for it... He also said that playing hockey in Sioux Falls wouldn't go over well because both towns are rivals and SF wouldn't really want USD playing hockey there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WPoS Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 PCM...no idea, but htat was the skinny on campus from what he told me...best I can do is the rumor.... WPoS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BisonMav Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 Fighting Sioux Fan Posted on May 2 2003, 08:26 AM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------  He also said that playing hockey in Sioux Falls wouldn't go over well because both towns are rivals and SF wouldn't really want USD playing hockey there... What is the distance from USD to Sioux City, IA? I realize SC was a rival when Morningside was in the same conference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charger Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 What is the distance from USD to Sioux City, IA? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charger Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 He also said that playing hockey in Sioux Falls wouldn't go over well because both towns are rivals and SF wouldn't really want USD playing hockey there... I don't know if I would really call SF and Vermillion rivals because of USD and Auggie. Augustana doesn't exactly have a strong following in SF and they don't have a hockey team, so I wouldn't see this as being a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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