Michigan initiating feasibility study on women’s hockey team

Back on March 28, multiple members of the University of Michigan’s Board of Regents brought up the topic of the Michigan women’s ice hockey team. Namely, they raised concerns about the current void for women’s hockey in Michigan and the importance of bumping the Wolverines to varsity status.

Nearly a month later, the Michigan athletic department is getting the ball rolling. 

The first step toward varsity status for the Wolverines is conducting a feasibility study. On Monday, Michigan coach Jenna Trubiano met with athletic director Warde Manuel regarding exactly that. Manuel informed Trubiano that the athletic department will be initiating the feasibility study in the coming weeks. The Michigan Daily reached out to associate athletic director Kurt Svoboda for statement, but has not yet received a response.

“I’m grateful to (Manuel) for his time and careful consideration,” Trubiano told The Michigan Daily. “It’s heartening and exciting to see progress towards a varsity women’s hockey program. We want to make women’s hockey at Michigan as great as it can be for all the future players in the state and beyond.”

The feasibility study, which is paid for by the NHL, looks into several factors in order to evaluate whether adding a varsity hockey program is attainable. The study takes roughly three months to complete and will give the Wolverines a well-rounded understanding of the next steps they would need to take if they decide to move forward.

The Board of Regents’ actions of calling for a feasibility study is certainly optimistic, but actions speak louder than words. With the Michigan athletic department taking action, the women’s hockey team is finally on a path toward varsity status. 

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