Tennessee State made headlines when they announced they were looking to start an ice hockey program.
Mikki Allen, Tennessee State’s athletics director, made the announcement with Nashville Predators President and CEO Sean Henry, who will help raise money for the Tigers to launch the first NCAA Division I HBCU men’s and women’s ice hockey teams.
“We have tremendous partnerships with the NHL and Sean Henry and the Predators behind us 110%,” said Allen to the Tennessean. “Now we are assembling a TSU Friends of Hockey Fundraising Team. We are looking for other corporations. It could be a private gift out there or a public gift that could really help ignite this and propel us to where this becomes a reality. “
The announcement took place during the NHL Black History Tour Museum’s stop at Tennessee State, the perfect opportunity to add more Black history to the ice.
The goal is exciting, but funding, maintaining and growing an ice hockey program isn’t cheap.
The school will need lots of money to cover scholarships, an arena, equipment, travel and other operational expenses. That’s why having an NHL team’s assistance is so important.
But it’s not a spur of the moment decision. They’ve been discussing and exploring the idea since last spring.
“It’s a substantial investment; it’s not a cheap sport to play at the grassroot level,” he said. “And it’s not a sport that you can not fund at a high level if you want to do it right.”
The Tigers have made some big moves over the last year that thrust their program into the national spotlight.
Hercy Miller, Master P’s son, played on their basketball team but later withdrew from the school after his father disagreed with the treatment Hercy received for an injury.
The Tigers also signed Eddie George as their head football coach and revealed their desire to eventually move up to the FBS level.
These national headline-grabbing moves added to the renewed attention received by HBCU athletic programs.
From Deion Sanders at Jackson State, Hue Jackson at Grambling, Morgan State and Bluefield State adding men’s and women’s wrestling teams, respectively, and Fisk adding women’s gymnastics, HBCUs are taking major strides in college athletics.
Now Tennesse State is trying to break into ice hockey, a sport with a checkered history in regards to race, and become the first Division I HBCU institution to field men’s and women’s teams.
But Henry feels that if anyone can do it, Tennessee State can, which is why he’s throwing his support behind the Tigers.
“I’ve worked with a lot of schools in my career and they’re all wonderful, but a lot of times you meet people that are ‘no’ people,” said Henry. “They’re like, ‘Oh we could do it, but, but, but…’ You talk to the leadership on this campus and it’s ‘Yes, we will do it. Let’s figure out how to do it.’ There’s going to be nothing more rewarding in my career than launching this program.”
While the hard work has yet to come, the goal is set and Allen is excited to get to work.
“I will say we’re right on schedule for where we want to be since announcing this initiative. It’s something that’s been developed tirelessly over conversations, over meetings and we’re right where we want to be with it.”
