The University of Michigan took the first step Thursday toward addressing a major gap in the state by launching a feasibility study to consider establishing a women's varsity hockey program.
The study has the support of Chancellor Santa Ono and was proposed by members at the Michigan Board of Regents. Dennis IlitchDaughter of Detroit Red Wings owner Marian Ilitch.
The push to launch a varsity program would likely be costly and require the school to build a second rink facility, but Michigan State does not have a mandatory Division I program for young women. It was prompted by increased demands on the state's top agencies to take action. Leaving the state to continue playing sports after high school.
“Other universities are creating women's hockey teams, and Michigan State is losing talent. We're a Big Ten school. There's no reason our women can't get on the ice,” Ilitch said. He spoke to The Associated Press by phone.
“We need to step up now as an organization and be a leader here in Michigan,” she added. “The desire is there. There's an appetite for it here. And we need to meet that need.”
Michigan has had a club-level women's hockey team since the mid-1990s. Detroit-based Wayne State University was the only state school to feature a varsity women's hockey program until it was disbanded in 2011.
Ilitch told the regents that while Michigan lags behind other states, including 10 women's varsity programs, eight in Massachusetts and six in Minnesota, the Red Wings have made Detroit a “hockey town.” He explained how he came to be called. She also noted how Michigan native Kristen Sims led female college hockey players in scoring this season while playing at the University of Wisconsin.
“Right now, the cycle of elite women's hockey players leaving the state is breaking,” Ilitch said. “Equality is not just about numbers. It's about respect. Women belong on the same ice as men.”
Ilitch said he wanted to speak out based on his family's history of supporting hockey, including the Little Caesars youth program for boys and girls.
Ilitch was also inspired by the newly launched Women's Professional Hockey League, which played a neutral-site game at the Red Wings' home two weeks ago to a crowd of 13,700. This number of votes firmly placed Detroit on the map as a potential PWHL expansion team, and the game encouraged PWHL players to encourage Michigan universities to start a varsity team. I hope this will give you an opportunity to consider it.
PWHL Minnesota defenseman Melissa Channel, a Michigan native who coached Sims in the Little Caesars program, praised Ilitch's support.
“I think it’s a big step in the right direction to have someone of this stature recognize it and bring it to the attention of the university and all members of the board,” Channell said. “There's only so much we can do and so much exposure, but I think it definitely helps when you have a celebrity like that advocating for you.”
Cost will be an issue, but one challenge is infrastructure. The Wolverine men's team will play in the 101-year-old Yost Arena, but the structure of the building does not allow for expansion of the venue to accommodate the women's national team.
Michigan's club teams currently have operating budgets of $150,000 to $200,000, but players also have to pay $3,000 in annual dues.
Regent Paul Brown supported Ilitch, saying, “Women's ice hockey is long overdue and should be the next sport to earn national team status.”
Regent Michael Boehm said he found it “somewhat sickening” to watch Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Wisconsin play in the women's hockey national championship last weekend. “I think we have the money. We have the resources. We have the determination to get this done,” Boehm said.
Mr. Ilitch understands that it may take some time for his proposal to become a reality, but he is encouraged by the support expressed during the meeting.
“I believe that if we can fully come together on this project, it will move faster and we can definitely take the first steps now,” Ilitch said. “Obviously it's a process. But I think we have to keep our foot on the pedal.”
___
AP Hockey Writer Larry Rage in Detroit contributed to this report.
___
AP Women's Hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey
