Hockey has increased in popularity and participation in the western United States, so it’s only natural that the next step is NCAA Division 1. Arizona State joined NCAA D1 hockey in 2014 and the team’s popularity has made people wonder if D1 hockey could come to other big western schools like UCLA, USC, UO, and UW. Of course one of the issues is funding, not all of these schools have or want to spend the money it takes to build a solid D1 hockey program. The cost of equipment, facilities, and staff isn’t cheap. But there would be excitement around the programs for sure, earlier this year the University of Oregon club hockey team went viral after they posted pictures of their sweet jerseys. Oregon isn’t the only school either, club programs on the West Coast like UW and UCLA have generated lots of popularity among college students and local fans. If you were to go to one of UW’s many home hockey games in Seattle, there’s a good chance that the rink will be packed with fans. 

Now imagine an actual “Husky Ice rink” with the band blasting, and fans packing the house every Friday and Saturday to cheer on their team. That would be pretty exciting. We’ve seen it at ASU and many other Midwest and East Coast schools. Teams like Boston University, Michigan, Minnesota, and North Dakota never fail to pack their rinks full of students night after night. I feel sports culture here in Seattle and on the West Coast in general would really embrace college hockey, especially with its rising popularity. It could be inspiring and encouraging for younger players to see they can play a high level of college hockey from where they’re from instead of moving out to the Midwest or the East Coast. We already know there are markets for these teams as well, with the sport’s popularity growing after introducing teams like the Kraken. People want to see hockey played at a high level because it’s exciting. 

So how do we get there? It would be difficult. It would require lots of funding from the schools and their athletic programs to build and pay for professional rinks and high-quality equipment to keep the team running smoothly. Not to mention these programs would need support from the university athletic boards and here on the West Coast especially, these people don’t necessarily see the appeal to put millions of dollars into a team. Is it possible though? I believe it is. If the sport continues to grow at the rate it is, and the excitement stays consistent, I believe universities on the West Coast would be crazy not to create Division 1 programs.