[NU Sports] PENN STATE TO START VARSITY HOCKEY; BIG TEN TO FOLLOW?

[Mike Nolan]

> Cal-Berkeley thinking of cutting 5-7 sports from menu of 27 to save $10-13
> million annually:
> http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-09-15/sports/24003674_1_million-budget-campus-intercollegiate-athletics
> 
> Against that kind of reality, the notion of adding another (essentially
> non-revenue) sport becomes a significant math problem.

Yes, that is a major concern.  I've heard rumors that more sports may get
axed at Iowa State and a couple of other Big XII schools, too.  Personally,
I have concerns over how long Nebraska will continue to field a men's 
gymnastics team now that long-time coach Francis Allen has retired, and 
as I understand it they're getting perilously close to falling below 
the 48 schools that the NCAA has set as the minimum for holding an 
NCAA Championship in a sport.

BTW, I posed the question of the Huskers starting to play ice hockey on
the Husker List, below is what Mike Jaixen, a hockey enthusiast, said.  

The general consensus is that there probably isn't a suitable facility
in Lincoln yet, though there is supposed to be an ice rink attached to 
the new downtown arena that they will be building in Lincoln.  (The 
Huskers will be moving their mens and womens basketball games to that 
venue when it is completed, it seems likely that the women's volleyball 
team may move to a redesigned Bob Devaney Center, the current BB facility.)  
--
Mike Nolan

Mike Jaixen (http://huskermike.blogspot.com/) wrote:

On my blog, I cover UNO's D-1 hockey program as well, and I've wondered the same
thing over the years. I'm skeptical that the Big Ten is going to sponsor
hockey.  Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Michigan State are traditional
hockey powers who make the NCAA tournament year after year.  I don't see those
schools wanting to compete with each other in conference play and possibly risk
an NCAA tournament berth with extra losses.  In college hockey, strength of
schedule does mean something in setting the post season, but a Big Ten hockey
conference with those six schools likely mean one of those traditional powers
wouldn't make the tournament each season.