Report Centered Around Potentially Adding Women’s Program in Ann Arbor
by Tyler Kuehl/CHN Reporter (@tjku29)
For over a half-century, the University of Michigan men’s hockey team has called the historic Yost Ice Arena home.
That could change in the near future.
College Hockey News, via the Freedom of Information Act, acquired the results of a feasibility study about adding women’s hockey at Michigan. Along with the finances and ramifications of adding a second hockey program, the study showed the need for updated facilities and potentially some additions. The women’s hockey team at Michigan is currently a club program.
The study, performed by Collegiate Sports Associates (CSA), lays out the groundwork necessary for a women’s hockey team, the overall costs of beginning and operating the new program, and the timeline of when things could get under way.
Michigan coach Brandon Naurato and women’s club team coach Jenna Trubiano each declined to comment for this story.
One of the more notable takeaways from the study was how the outlook of hockey on campus would have to change in order to make way for a women’s team.
The seemingly most viable option is adding a new arena on campus that would house both teams. The new building, projected to cost around $300 million, would give a new home to both the men’s and the new women’s team. The plan would be to construct a rink with an 8,000-10,000 seating capacity, similar to what is seen at Mariucci Arena on the campus of the University of Minnesota.
While the cost of building a new arena is high, it would not only provide better amenities to fans but also give the teams improved facilities that are comparable to other elite programs around the NCAA. Yost Arena’s capacity is currently around 6,000.
The feasibility study also suggests the option of adding two rinks. Similar to Minnesota, a larger arena would be suited for the men’s team, while a smaller venue would be stationed for the women’s team. The second sheet would be set up like Minnesota’s Ridder Arena, home to the Gophers’ women’s program, and seat approximately 3,500.
That project would be the most expensive option, estimated to cost the university $330 million.
That could also be done by the men staying at Yost, while a new arena is built for the women, but that option…
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