University of Michigan regent Denise Ilitch told The Associated Press she believes there’s enough support for the Big Ten school to launch a Division I women’s hockey program that it’s only a matter of when, not if, it will happen.
“I think that the decision to have a DI team is positive, so that would be a yes,” Ilitch said by phone on Thursday. “I think now, it’s a matter of how do we get there.”
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Several issues still need to be resolved, headed by determining whether to build a new facility to house both the men’s and women’s teams under one roof and how to pay for a project with a projected cost of at least $300 million.
Ilitch, however, expressed confidence in saying she is eager to jumpstart the women’s program’s launch by identifying an off-campus arena to host the team in the interim.
“All I can say is those that are the supporters and the board and the president all want the same thing,” said Ilitch, the daughter of Detroit Red Wings owner Marian Ilitch.
“So I think we’ll move as quickly as we can,” she added. “I don’t want to put a date on it though but, boy, I’m hoping within the next few months we’re able to have at least a direction on whether it’ll be Yost or new arena.”
The 102-year-old Yost Arena has been the long-time home of the Wolverines men’s program, but considered too small to accommodate two varsity teams.
A feasibility study commissioned by the school last year outlined several options, with the cheapest projected to cost about $50 million to expand Yost’s footprint. The cons of such a venture are reducing campus and community ice-time availability and valuable parking spaces.
Otherwise, the study’s author, Collegiate Sports Associates, estimated it would cost $300 million to build a new one-rink facility with an 8,000-10,000 seating capacity. CSA also priced out a new two-rink facility at $330 million — with the second ice sheet providing more revenue-generating potential.
The study placed “a conservative estimate” in anticipating it would cost Michigan $4.1 million annually to fund a women’s program, while noting there are various partnership options — including arena naming rights — to offset the losses.
Ilitch has been a long-time proponent for Michigan adding a women’s program in a bid to fill a major void in the state. Despite producing numerous national team-caliber players, Michigan has lacked a Division 1 team since Detroit’s Wayne State disbanded its in 2011.
Her comments come at a time women’s hockey registration has jumped by nearly 43% nationally over the past decade, a jump in Division III teams, and the sport gaining further traction with last year’s launch of the six-team PWHL.
On Sunday, Detroit will host its second PWHL neutral site game in two years, with the defending champion Minnesota Frost playing the New York Sirens at the Red Wings home. And Detroit is also a candidate for expansion, with the PWHL considering adding as many as two teams for next season.
“Detroit calls itself Hockeytown, so it’s kind of bizarre to me that there isn’t a college team,” said New York forward Elle Hartje, who is from Detroit, and played collegiately at Yale. “I’m appreciative that the PWHL recognizes it as a viable market to expand to. And hopefully, if that does happen it’ll have a trickle-down effect into the NCAA.”
Sirens teammate Abby Roque is from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and said she would have considered staying in state had there been a program, while also cherishing her career at Wisconsin.
“Having something there for young girls in Michigan now would be incredible, because when you can see it, it really does feel so much more attainable,” Roque said.
The CSA study found 45 Michiganders played on women's college rosters during the 2023-24 season. Overall, Michigan ranked fourth that year in the U.S. with 5,327 female hockey registrants behind Minnesota (15,723), Massachusetts (11,763) and New York (6,795).
The Wolverines currently feature a women’s club hockey team, which was coached by Jenna Trubiano, who has taken over a strategic advisory role in working with Ilitch to launch a DI program.
Too often, Trubiano said, Michigan-born players leave the state to pursue hockey and never return, leading to a talent drain at the youth girls hockey coaching levels.
Trubiano said what helped spur the women's hockey push at Michigan was arch-rival Ohio State winning two of the past three NCAA titles.
“It was really something that put it on the radar for people at Michigan because it was like, ‘OK, Ohio State just won a national championship and how did we do? Well, we don’t have a program,’” she said.
“So I was actually rooting for Ohio State. Hey, that’s the business right,” Trubiano added with a laugh. “I see them as a competitor, and Michigan faithful, I believe they want to beat Ohio State in everything.”
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AP Women’s Hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey