A new feasibility study is sure to stir up some dreamers and naysayers on a new sports arena in downtown Champaign to house the UI Hockey team, if it can graduate to Division I. From the News-Gazette this morning:
UI hockey feasibility study recommends downtown facility
Division I hockey currently has 60 men's teams and 35 women's teams.
Illinois isn't among those schools, but a new feasibility study released on Thursday indicates growing enthusiasm for the sport's potential addition to Illinois.
But the Illinois athletic department isn't prepared yet to add hockey as a varsity sport at Illinois.
"This will only happen if the DIA can successfully fund the program and receive needed support from various campus and community stakeholders," the department said in a release...
The study recommends the development of a new facility on the location proposed in downtown Champaign. The Illinois athletic department agrees with this recommendation "and will begin focusing its planning efforts on the downtown location."
Local developer Hans Grotelueschen proposed the downtown facility last summer, with cost estimates between $90 to $150 million for the new facility.
More in the
full article.
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