After it was first announced in June 2023 that Tennessee State would field an NCAA Division I men’s hockey team for the upcoming 2025-26 season, it appears that will not happen.
According to a report in the Tennessean, “uncertainty about a home ice location or practice facilities, a lack of fundraising, and unrest about the school’s financial situation are all contributing factors for the delay of the program.”
Tennessee State would have been the first-ever hockey team at an historically black, public university. It now appears that 2026-27 will be the earliest the Tigers will take the ice.
The announcement coincides with a $250,000 grant from the NHL/NHLPA industry growth fund and continued support from the Nashville Predators. TSU remains poised to become the first historically black college or university (HBCU) to sponsor NCAA Division I men’s hockey.
“Working closely with the NHL and the Predators, we agree that an additional year will provide the program with the time and resources it needs to launch at full strength and with long-term financial success in mind,” said TSU interim president Dwayne Tucker.
A source with knowledge of the situation, who wished to remain anonymous because the news has not been made official, told the paper that Tennessee State’s hockey team had not met its fundraising goals for 2025-26.
“College Hockey Inc. remains fully supportive of Tennessee State’s commitment to adding men’s ice hockey to its athletics program,” said Sean Hogan, executive director of College Hockey Inc. “We’re excited to work closely with TSU as it prepares to launch and to see the impact this historic initiative will have on both the university and the growth of college hockey.”
Duanté Abercrombie was named the Tigers’ inaugural coach in April 2024.
