July 12, 2025
As a result of college’s monetary struggles, the hockey program will now start in the course of the 2026-2027 educational 12 months.
Tennessee State College’s historic hockey program–the primary ice hockey program at any HBCU–was dealt a minor setback on July 10 when the college formally introduced that amid its monetary struggles brought on by Tennessee’s power underfunding of the college, this system would start in the course of the 2026-2027 educational 12 months.
In keeping with The Nashville Banner, the State of Tennessee has underfunded Tennessee State College by $544 million over the previous 5 a long time, however regardless of these institutional shortfalls, workers members dedicated themselves to fundraising whereas making an attempt to recruit gamers, constructing out a schedule for the workforce and the numerous different logistical issues that include constructing a program from scratch.
Kevin Westgarth, the Nationwide Hockey League’s VP of Hockey Growth and Strategic Collaboration, touted the resilience of Tennessee State College in a press launch and appeared assured that this system would rebound from this setback.
“Deferring the inaugural season of TSU Tigers hockey to 2026-27 is the fitting step to construct a basis worthy of the college,” Westgarth mentioned. “We place confidence in President Tucker’s imaginative and prescient and sit up for including new names to the TSU Athletics historical past alongside legends like Olympic gold medalist Wilma Rudolph and NBA champion Dick Barnett. Hopefully, we’ll see an ex-Tiger increase the Stanley Cup in the future, not too far sooner or later.”
After Tennessee State College introduced its intention to start out a Division I hockey program on the establishment in June 2023, the NHL and Tennessee’s NHL franchise, the Nashville Predators, rapidly backed the trouble, using the NHL’s Trade Development Fund to assist fund and supply sources to the fledgling program.
Nonetheless, the college’s persevering with monetary points have prompted a domino impact, and it was decided that the hockey program wanted to boost $5 million in budgetary funding impartial of the college to cowl its first two seasons.
Within the press launch, Tennessee State College’s interim president, Dwayne Tucker, mentioned that each the Nashville Predators and the NHL agreed that it was finest for the college to delay the launch of this system to be able to increase the mandatory funds for competitors.
“Working carefully with the NHL and the Predators, we agree that an extra 12 months will present this system with the time and sources it must launch at full power and with long-term monetary success in thoughts,” Tucker mentioned.
Since his hiring in April 2024, the hockey program’s head coach, Duanté Abercrombie has led the fundraising effort, which can now shift to a mannequin targeted on group engagement, initiatives to create extra donations, in addition to efforts geared on the improvement of the hockey program itself to be able to maintain the hearth that was lit on the outset of this system’s inception burning.
Invoice Wickett, the Predators chief advertising and marketing officer, indicated in his personal assertion within the press launch that the workforce desires to assist “make the Division I hockey dream a actuality at Tennessee State.”
He continued, “We applaud college management, led by Interim President Tucker, for its need to make sure that when the Tigers step on the ice for the primary time, they’re doing it for a very long time, and we pledge to stroll hand-in-hand with that management in making it occur.”
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