University of Michigan Regent Denise Ilitch is calling for an NCAA Division I women's hockey program at the school, which would be the only in the state.
University of Michigan Regent Denise Ilitch is calling for an NCAA Division I women's hockey program at the school, which would be the only in the state.
In the state of Michigan, few names carry more weight than Ilitch. If Denise Ilitch, a University of Michigan regent has anything to do with it, the Wolverines will soon rectify the long standing absence of NCAA Division I women's hockey in the state of Michigan.
At the March 28 Board of Regents meeting, Ilitch, who is the daughter of longtime Detroit Red Wings owners Marian and Mike Ilitch, said the time is now for the University of Michigan to add an NCAA DI program for women's hockey.
"It's time for the University of Michigan to have a varisty team for its women's hockey program," she said, also citing the "broken cycle" of elite women's hockey players being forced to leave the state saying "Right now, the people of Michigan aren't being served."
According to The Hockey News' Sam Stockton, University of Michigan president Santa Ono stated he's committed to having a feasibility study done at the school for a women's hockey program.
The comments of Ilitch echoed those of Lisa Brown-Miller, the first ever woman from Michigan to represent USA internationally, who told The Hockey News this week that she is "so disappointed in the state of Michigan" for their lack of NCAA DI women's hockey.
The state of Michigan currently has seven NCAA Division I men's hockey programs, but zero women's programs at the DI level. School's including Michigan, Michigan State, Adrian College and others run ACHA and NCAA Division III programs only.
Michigan's efforts to see an NCAA Division I program at the school have been pushed forward by the efforts of head coach Jenna Trubiano who continues to advocate for more opportunities for women's hockey players in the state.