The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 9 BY ANTHONY BROOME O n the heels of Ohio State women's hockey winning its second national title in the last three years, perhaps it is no coin- cidence that Michigan is now con- sidering a jump from club status to varsity program for its women's hockey team. In a meeting of the Board of Re- gents March 28, members of the board and U-M President Santa Ono recommended a feasibility study to athletics director Warde Manuel that would show what would be needed to elevate the women's club hockey program to varsity status. The NHL-funded study would take approximately three months to complete. "We're in a historical moment," said regent Denise Ilitch, who has NHL ties given her family's ownership of the Detroit Red Wings. "It's time for the University of Michigan to have a varsity team for its women's hockey program." Ilitch's call carries a lot of weight, given the Professional Women's Hockey League brought in a record attendance number of 13,736 for a game between Ottawa and Boston at Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit March 16. The U-M club team currently has to cover most of its expenses but has had support from the president's office during the last two years, covering the yearly ice time bill of nearly $40,000 for usage of Yost Ice Arena. Should Michigan's women's hockey team be raised to varsity status, it would become the first Division I women's program in the state, compared to seven men's varsity programs at U-M, Michi- gan State, Western Michigan, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech. Northern Michigan had previously discussed adding women's hockey as the first Division I program in the state, but efforts dissipated after former ath- letics director Forrest Karr left for Min- nesota Duluth in 2022. "I believe as a public official, who's trying to do what's best for the people of Michigan, I think there's a clear need here and a clear want here," regent Jordan Acker told The Detroit News. "Michigan is a hockey state. We produce some of the best female players in the world, and they have to go somewhere else because we aren't providing the opportunities. "We have to understand what it's go- ing to cost, not just the cost of a program, but also the cost of facilities. And that's been a big question mark. … Yost is not what you would call a built-out modern facility, and there isn't really space to build out. So, you'd think there needs to be a general recognition that we need an- other sheet of ice for this to work." "It is a privilege and an honor to be recognized by the University of Michigan Board of Regents and President Santa Ono for our current success and the previous efforts of every player, coach, volunteer and supporter of the University of Mich- igan women's hockey program," Wolverines coach Jenna Trubiano said in a statement to TheRink- Live.com. "This is truly an exciting time for women's sports, especially women's hockey at Michigan with the success of our program and the newly created PWHL. I appreciate the public support for myself and our program and am looking for- ward to seeing what the future of our program may look like." U-M's potential addition to varsity status in women's college hockey would allow it to join the four other Big Ten schools that sponsor the sport — Min- nesota, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Penn State. It would be likely that U-M would join the WCHA, which also features Min- nesota Duluth, St. Cloud State, Minne- sota State, St. Thomas and Bemidji State. Michigan has fielded a club team in women's hockey since the 1995-96 sea- son. Trubiano joined the program as an assistant coach in August 2017 before her elevation to head coach in March 2021. She was nominated by her peers as the 2023 CCWHA Coach of the Year and helped U-M reach a top-10 ACHA ranking in 2022-23 for the first time since 2016, per Trubiano's LinkedIn page. The U-M women's club team finished with a 17-8-1 record during its 2023-24 campaign. Michigan currently sponsors 27 var- sity intercollegiate sports teams, 13 men's and 14 women's. ❑ ❱ Inside Michigan ATHLETICS U-M Exploring Addition Of Women's Hockey As Varsity Sport Michigan has fielded a club team in women's ice hockey since 1995-96. Should the team be elevated to varsity status, it would become the first Division I women's program in the state and fifth such program in the Big Ten. PHOTO BY JAIME CRAWFORD