Having the conversation with Iowa people about how I just don't see the U of Iowa taking their club program to a D1 sport. They use the argument that Iowa just started up their women's wrestling program so why wouldn't the Iowa Board of Regents start up hockey at Iowa. Such a bad argument since the state of Iowa is a wrestling state, starting that program is such a no brainer when all of the infrastructure was just upgraded for the men's program so it is just hiring coaches and adding the scholarships. Easy sell. Besides the fact that the Iowa BoR have eliminated six varsity level sports at state universities and only have added one in the last two decades kind of says it all.
My rebuttal is that while there is a brand new arena just miles from campus it is not owned by the University so you have the expense of securing Xtream Arena as your home base and then figuring out where your off ice facilities will be and then coaches, players, and etc. Then take that times two since you will have to start a women's program as well...you know that sticky Title IX thing. Do all of that...in Iowa which is NOT a hockey state. But, but, but...USHL hockey. Yup Iowa has junior hockey which isn't D1 college hockey. USHL fans in Iowa barely know that D1 hockey exists.
Maybe someday I could see this happening but dumb donor gives Iowa around $20M to start up these programs and/or the B1G really helps out starting this up I just don't see this coming to fruition at Iowa or Iowa State. Both of those club programs have history but those are kind of self sustaining without having support from their respective athletic departments.
I am the official Iowa Hawkeye football fan of GPL!
It's interesting how many schools in ACHA D1 talk about the move from ACAH to NCAA. What's even more interesting is how many current NCAA schools folded other programs to keep hockey afloat. Omaha cut football and wrestling. SCSU cut football. Hockey is not cheap and these schools trying to jump in gets interesting. Schools like Iowa and Illinois have better chances than a school like UNLV.
Keep your stick on the ice...