NCAA Div 1 Hockey in Southern California
The future of NCAA Div. 1 hockey in Southern California seems to be non-existent. While ASU in neighboring Arizona has set a previously unimaginable precedent by finishing the 2019 season ranked, and climbing as high as No. 10 so far this season, universities in Southern California don't seem to making any strides toward bringing NCAA hockey to California. The reason seems to be a combination of ignorance to the explosion of youth hockey currently going on, and an unwillingness to throw money at a sport that many Californians see as a novelty.
Recently, youth hockey has seen a remarkable surge in popularity. This is in no small part due to programs where kids can learn to play ice hockey for free. While the price to play ramps up incredibly quickly, local hockey clubs are brimming with players of all levels. As more kids play, more are reaching the upper levels.
Between California and Arizona, there are twelve native sons playing in the NHL. The number of NCAA division 1 hockey athletes coming from the western states is also climbing. The problem is that the athletes can't play here. These athletes are not only forced to leave home at a very young age to further their hockey career, they have to travel excessive distances to do so. The opportunities to play high level hockey at the high school, junior, or college level, simply don't exist in Southern California.
The NHL has, at least in one respect, figured out that hockey works on the west coast. In an effort to reduce travel, and make it easier to call players up from farm clubs, NHL teams are centering their AHL affiliates in Southern California. San Diego, Ontario, Bakersfield, and Palm Springs all boast AHL affiliates (San Jose, Stockton, and Tucson also host AHL affiliates). Progress has been made, but there is still a huge gap for developing players.
Arizona State University, with the help of a generous donor was able to fund an NCAA division 1 program. I was astonished to see them ranked in the top twenty last year, and although less surprised this year, I was pleased to see them as high as ten. Almost instantly, they proved that the west can have programs with national impact. Sadly, they stand alone, unless one wants to count the University of Denver, however, they are a long way from Southern California. Seeing the success of ASU and having experienced the energetic turnout when they played Harvard in Irvine, I'm left to wonder who will step up next.
There are many possibility. University of California at Irvine, a school not known for athletics other than some recent trips to the NCAA basketball tournament, would be a great start. Amazing facilities are just a stones throw from campus. Their lack of response to any questions that I've posed them hints that they are not likely to be interested. Adam Stanovich, General Manager of the Cal State University of Long Beach ACHA team, was pretty clear. The bottom line is that schools need money, and not a small amount, to field NCAA hockey teams. Few of the ACHA teams have access to decent facilities, an issue that ASU still faces. In fact USC drives to Anaheim to play and practice. Despite what Major League Baseball would have you believe, Anaheim and Los Angeles aren't the same place and the trip can often take an hour and a half to make.
As things stand now, schools like USC, LBSU, UCLA, UCI, and more will have to wait for a fairy god donor to help them make the move to Division 1. Knowing that sports talk radio stations here in Southern California won't even mention hockey, I'm not going to hold my breath. It could work though. It would be good for hockey, and good for hockey fans.
Recently, youth hockey has seen a remarkable surge in popularity. This is in no small part due to programs where kids can learn to play ice hockey for free. While the price to play ramps up incredibly quickly, local hockey clubs are brimming with players of all levels. As more kids play, more are reaching the upper levels.
Between California and Arizona, there are twelve native sons playing in the NHL. The number of NCAA division 1 hockey athletes coming from the western states is also climbing. The problem is that the athletes can't play here. These athletes are not only forced to leave home at a very young age to further their hockey career, they have to travel excessive distances to do so. The opportunities to play high level hockey at the high school, junior, or college level, simply don't exist in Southern California.
The NHL has, at least in one respect, figured out that hockey works on the west coast. In an effort to reduce travel, and make it easier to call players up from farm clubs, NHL teams are centering their AHL affiliates in Southern California. San Diego, Ontario, Bakersfield, and Palm Springs all boast AHL affiliates (San Jose, Stockton, and Tucson also host AHL affiliates). Progress has been made, but there is still a huge gap for developing players.
Arizona State University, with the help of a generous donor was able to fund an NCAA division 1 program. I was astonished to see them ranked in the top twenty last year, and although less surprised this year, I was pleased to see them as high as ten. Almost instantly, they proved that the west can have programs with national impact. Sadly, they stand alone, unless one wants to count the University of Denver, however, they are a long way from Southern California. Seeing the success of ASU and having experienced the energetic turnout when they played Harvard in Irvine, I'm left to wonder who will step up next.
There are many possibility. University of California at Irvine, a school not known for athletics other than some recent trips to the NCAA basketball tournament, would be a great start. Amazing facilities are just a stones throw from campus. Their lack of response to any questions that I've posed them hints that they are not likely to be interested. Adam Stanovich, General Manager of the Cal State University of Long Beach ACHA team, was pretty clear. The bottom line is that schools need money, and not a small amount, to field NCAA hockey teams. Few of the ACHA teams have access to decent facilities, an issue that ASU still faces. In fact USC drives to Anaheim to play and practice. Despite what Major League Baseball would have you believe, Anaheim and Los Angeles aren't the same place and the trip can often take an hour and a half to make.
As things stand now, schools like USC, LBSU, UCLA, UCI, and more will have to wait for a fairy god donor to help them make the move to Division 1. Knowing that sports talk radio stations here in Southern California won't even mention hockey, I'm not going to hold my breath. It could work though. It would be good for hockey, and good for hockey fans.
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