CHICAGO
Penn State hockey could soon see another Big Ten opponent in the conference.
Illinois announced Friday in a joint news conference that it will partner with the NHL and NHLPA to evaluate the possibility of adding hockey as a varsity men’s and women’s sport. (It’s now a club sport.)
The evaluation is part of a feasibility study funded by the NHL and NHLPA to support the growth of collegiate hockey. Illinois is one of as many as five institutions that will be part of the study; the others have not yet been publicly released.
Athletic director Josh Whitman said initial research revealed several factors suggesting that hockey could be popular on campus.