Why the University of Texas Should Bring Division I Hockey to Austin

College hockey is in a growth phase right now, and the potential for expansion is as good as it’s ever been. Many schools that put money into and have success in other sports may entertain the idea of hitting the ice. 

This mini-series breaks down the most feasible programs to become a Division I hockey program based on that school’s other sports, its market, and the money that school has. The countdown is now at three, with the University of Texas.

Texas has become one of the fastest-growing hockey markets in America, and the University of Texas has the money, athletic brand, population, and NHL connections to turn that growth into a Division I program. 

The football program alone got the school $181.1 million in revenue, so money is the furthest issue for them in making a hockey program. 

The school already has hockey at the ACHA level, where they made the finals in 2025. 

Hockey-Reference currently lists 14 NHL players born in Texas, with a chunk of those players still being active. The list is led by defensemen Brian Leetch, Seth Jones, and Tyler Myers. Considering this is considered a non-hockey state, those are some pretty elite names. 

Having an NHL team also makes a huge difference for growing a hockey state. The Dallas Stars arrived in 1993; they won the Stanley Cup in 1999, and the effects went much further than just having a pro hockey team.

The Associated Press reported in June of 2025 that Texas went from 7,017 USA Hockey registrations in 2005–06 to 17,346 in 2024–25, a 147% increase. Players 18 and under increased to 7,199.

Those numbers are already starting to show in the NHL draft, with Allen, Texas native J.P. Hurlbert, who grew up playing in the Dallas Stars' elite program before joining the U.S. NTDP. Hurlbert was selected in the first round in 2026 by the Detroit Red Wings with the 23rd overall pick. 

Although he’s at Michigan, if Texas acts fast enough, they could get an early top recruit with the projected first-overall pick in the OHL, Kade O’Rourke. The Round Rock, Texas native moved to Canada to play in the GTHL, where he played a year up, and eventually applied for exceptional status in the OHL, where he was denied. O’Rourke is now playing Junior A for the Oakville Blades of the OJHL as he waits to hear his name called next spring in the OHL draft. 

The University of Texas would be taking a huge risk by adding hockey, but they have the funds, the growing pipeline, and a state that’s just on the cusp of being one of the best in the country.