The Bowling Green men’s ice hockey program could be in danger of folding, that according to a report in Wednesday’s Bowling Green Sentinel Tribune.
According to the report, the University’s Board of Trustees is looking at potential budget cuts after the state school reported an expected shortfall of between $6 and $10 million when the new state budget goes into effect on July 1.
The hockey program is part of an athletic department that lost more than $750,000 this year, something Trustee Michael Marsh said happened despite the department’s “best efforts.
“That can’t continue,†said Marsh. “The academic departments know they are in for severe changes and athletics can’t be treated any differently.â€
Marsh said that Athletic Director Greg Christopher has made no specific recommendations for or against any athletic programs, including hockey. But he also said that everything, including the school’s Division I men’s ice hockey program, is on the table for potential cuts.
The Trustees have a retreat planned for next week, according to the report, but that agenda will deal with academic programs. The next schedule meeting of the Trustees is April 23.
Bowling Green has a storied hockey history that dates back to 1967-70. The school was one of the founding members of the CCHA and won the national championship in 1984.
Since that time, though, the program has struggled. The team hasn’t had a winning record since 1997 and has just one winning season in league play since 1996. The Falcons finished last this season with an 11-24-3 overall mark and an 8-19-11 mark in CCHA play. It was the third last-place finish in four years for Bowling Green.
A planned $4 million renovation to the school’s arena was recently scrapped. It would have been one of the first major renovations of the building since the 1989-90 season.
Officials within the athletic department, including Bowling Green head coach Scott Paluch, said they were unaware that any decision has been made about the program’s future, according to the report.
