Oakland has passed its NHL feasibility study with flying colors.

Now their negotiating with the Detroit Piston to buy their large arena, the Palace of Auburn Hills. Oakland doesn’t have an arena on campus but the Palace is huge and would create other opportunities.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports...773767002/

Oakland would need a conference though.

Maybe Lindenwood would start up a team too, as they now have the use of the St Louis Blues new practice facility which seat around 3000. The women’s team is already DI.

Pitt has been rumored to studying a team too. They just added women’s lacrosse so another men’s team might be possible.

As mentioned, Bowling Green doesn’t like the mainly DII league it’s in. Maybe they can convince Oakland, Miami, W Michigan, Canisius, Niagara, Mercyhurst, and Robert Morris to start a new league. Either get Liberty to join it or get in Atlantic Hockey, which would need more schools.

Miami and W Mich don’t probably like the news that Ariz St is building a 4000 seat arena, that UNLV has a number of existing arenas near it and wants team, Fresno St is the later school with rumored feasibility studies, and several PAC12 schools have upgraded their clubs teams and have nearby arena (Utah, Arizona, UCLA, Colorado) . Denver and Colorado College would probably insist on more western teams. UND just had a game in Las Vegas against Minnesota in front of a packed house at the Orleans Arena there. The central time zone schools wouldn’t be opposed imho.

Another school that might start hockey is Long Island U. It can use the Islanders old Uniondale Arena or the Islanders new practice facility, which has a rink with ~ 3000:seats. Long Island does not have a college men’s team currently, but LIU is slated to start a women’s one next year.