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It is slightly accurate. Some schools choose to include ACHA on their athletics page. Some do not. Valpo Hockey has its own website that is separate from rec sports and athletics.


The ACHA was developed in 1991 to give hockey players the chance to play college hockey, there is a limited amount of NCAA hockey programs, this is primarily because of the cost associate with the sport. The ACHA was developed to be a alternative to NCAA hockey. So you will see big schools, like University of Iowa and University of Illinois with ACHA teams.


Penn State and Arizona State both in recent years started with ACHA teams and then made the jump to NCAA D1. That may be an option for Valpo in the future, but it currently is not. An ACHA team is what properly fits the structure currently.

It's been awhile since I have been on here.

Some updates. The team will play for the upcoming school year. There are three NCAA recruits coming in, along with other's with ACHA experience.

Jerseys have been for sale on the FB page. There will be a online store up very soon with hoodies, hats, t-shirts etc.

There is going to be a very BIG hockey announcement that concerns the overall region within the next few months.

If you have any questions, provided I can, I will answer them.

We are looking into a different facility that is not located in South Bend. We may have found a better deal.

I'm coming from one of the top 3 most dominant division 1 hockey schools this past decade. I know how to make this a successful program. Coming on here, was a ploy to gain support. There are people talking about jerseys, when there is a mock up on the fb page which is what I first posted. Apparently nobody has decided to either like the page or visit it and look at those jerseys.

And you may or may not agree with my tactics. But I will tell you people working with the university especially the AD coming on here and posting is not professional and would have resulted in a firing very quickly at my previous universities. And I agree with that philosophy. There is a big difference between engaging fans and down right leaking information that is happening behind closed doors at the University. I could Leake and post screen shots of all the email correspondence from coaches concerning recruitment, ice rinks, and general administration dealings, but that is unprofessional and frankly unnecessary.

If a hockey team is something you want to see at valpo. Then I would suggest you stop attacking me, like the fb page, and champion it's idea.

I stand by my statements. Discussions were held with the AD today via email. This is an administration we are dealing with. Also, the AD has nothing to do with whether an ACHA team is approved. That falls with rec sports.

I haven't responded, because i was scouting in Fort Wayne over the weekend. Secondly, I don't really care what the son of the AD has to say. And if indeed the AD spills all this behind the scenes info to his son, just so he can run off and post it on a fan forum, then i have lost respect for both individuals.

Lastly, If you really are interested in seeing a jersey. Visit the FB page. There is an early mock up.

Feel free to debate this further. I am done with all the negativity behind this forum. The only reason this was posted, was to gain support. However a few on here would rather poke fun instead of having a discussion. Don't expect a response from me here on out.

Hi everyone! I just spoke to ml about this. There are no plans for and no discussions taking place involving the Athletics Department or the Recreational Sports Department for starting an NCAA sanctioned or club level ice hockey team affiliated with Valparaiso University. There are also no plans involving either of those Departments for an ice rink anywhere on campus.

I guess you will be surprised come September.

I'd hate to burst your bubble but I don't foresee an NCAA sanctioned hockey team coming to Valpo anytime soon and if a club team were to form it wouldn't last once the inaugural group of guys graduate. Hockey isn't a cheap sport (I played through high-school) just the ice rental can cost a couple of grand, not speaking about equipment, travel expenses etc... Unlike soccer and ultimate frisbee where all is needed is an open field to practice and the uniforms can be fairly simple and the only thing the university would be paying for is travel (for the most part). While hockey has tons of expenses my parents coughed up 2-3 grand a year just for me to play not to mention the equipment.

Also since there isn't a rink in Valpo that would mean travelling to St. Johns or South Bend, which is no short drive and would cost quite a bit in gas not to mention the time wasted travelling that could be spent studying. Also travelling to South Bend or St. Johns in the winter months on a regular basis could be quite treacherous during some snowier years especially to South Bend.

I really don't foresee the university putting any money into this at the moment. Many things need to happen before a team forms. It took the university how long to build a track? And that is fairly simple and cheap, relatively speaking. Right now the university has bigger fish to fry like much needed renovations to the ARC and other athletic facilities. Maybe if a full size rink goes into the planned fieldhouse then I could see it happening.

I don't know what goes in behind the scenes as well. If a player were to suffer a major injury, especially a major head injury, what does that cost the university? Will it all be out of pocket for the player/player's family.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see a Valpo hockey team but until yesterday I heard no mention of this from the university, while I attended and since I've graduated.

Good luck! You'll need it!

USA hockey covers any medical costs that the players insurance does not. We are operating around a 100k budget next year.

The proposed design includes 2 sheets of ice and 5k seating capacity.

This I will certainly believe when I see it. Did someone actually at the university say this? Seems like it's as feasible as this "Duneland Arena". This is the same university that took _years_ to build a track for a team that was already D1 and still hasn't addressed the needed seat upgrades at the ARC.

This is several years away. We are still in the early stages. Support for the team will help the project move quicker. There is no doubt we will have struggles. But I'm confident in the individuals working behind the scenes to see this through. I hope to see you at some games.

The proposed design includes 2 sheets of ice and 5k seating capacity.

I auditioned for the role in the hobbit films. Unfortunately I didn't get the part. Thanks for the suggestion though.

The proposed design includes 2 sheets of ice and 5k seating capacity.

This is exciting! But it's a club team, right? We're not talking NCAA...?

Once the arena is built the plan is to go NCAA.

The rink is still early in the process. The plan currently is to place it in the hospital property acquisition.

Mock up Jersey design is posted on the FB page. This is serious. We will be in Fort Wayne Friday scouting players. And in Indy next weekend.

The University is designing a rink at the current moment, until that is finished with, the team will be playing in South Bend. The team will be competing in the ICHC which began play this year which features Purdue, IU, and Ball State. Other teams that Valpo will be playing include the University of Iowa, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, Northern Illinois, Holy Cross, Augustana, to name a few. Scheduling will vary year to year.

Hey guys,

Just wanted to get the word out about the VU hockey team that will begin having games in the fall. All supporters are welcome to visit our FB page (Facebook.com/ValpoHockey) for ticket information, purchasing jersey and T-shirt information, team updates, and a general area to discuss the team with other fans. We will have a team website up shortly, be patient with us. We hope to see you all at the rink this fall.

Thanks.

Looks great. I'm excited for the future campus expansion.

Not Surprised.

The NCAA rules are hurting it chances of gaining impact players, especially in the hockey rely where there are many more options available to players.

Doubtful.

The Western Illinois Quad Cities Riverfront campus is gorgeous. I would expect it to begin passing the main campus for applicants soon. Which may not be a good thing.

lol this is awesome