A feasibility study on adding hockey at Illinois revealed that it "could be a success" for the school, and that a downtown Champaign arena would be recommended rather than the "more traditional campus footprint," according to Scott Richey of the Champaign NEWS-GAZETTE. UI AD Josh Whitman said that adding hockey would likely cost more than $50M -- a "combination of building a new arena and the startup costs associated with the program." That would put UI between the initial $32M raised by Arizona State when it played its inaugural season in '14-15 and what "turned out to be a total donation" of $102M by Bills and Sabres co-Owners Terry and Kim Pegula to "jumpstart the Penn State program" that played its first season in '13-14. Whitman said, "It’s a very ambitious project and a very expensive project trying to get something like this off the ground with a new arena. It’s a big number out there. We’re working hard to try and generate the support that’s necessary to get the project lifted off the ground." Richey notes other "potential facility upgrades are dependent on a hockey decision," which means "some expediency is needed" with any decision. Whitman: "We don’t intend to spin our wheels on this for years and years." UI also is "two years removed" from the conclusion of $169.5M in renovations at State Farm Center, and construction is underway on a $79.2M "football performance facility." Adding hockey would mean "more fundraising for another major facility" for UI athletics (Champaign NEWS-GAZETTE, 3/9).
POTENTIAL HOME: In Illinois, Pressey & Zigterman in a front-page piece note among the factors that favored local developer Hans Grotelueschen's proposed site for a UI hockey facility were the "restaurants, bars and hotels in or near downtown that would enhance the gameday experience of college hockey and the fact that the UI's student population is migrating north to the Green Street area." Asked Thursday what relationship UI would have with Grotelueschen if the project were to move forward, Whitman said, "As of now, I think it's unlikely we would own the land or own the facility. It would probably be more of a lease relationship. We're exploring some different public-private partnership options that exist out there" (Champaign NEWS-GAZETTE, 3/9).
