Last summer, this story popped up on the radar.
The Big Ten Hockey Conference needs an eighth team and there’s a chance they have one. According to a 247sports.com article, University of Illinois Athletic Director, Josh Whitman said that he hopes to green-light a program by the end of the calendar year. If the Illini added men’s hockey that would give the Big Ten the eight teams.
That would also put the UND to the Big Team to bed for good. Like I’ve said in the past, it’s not happening. It won’t ever happen.
Today, this story again picked up steam. Check it out. It would also give Illinois a Division I college hockey team.
BREAKING NEWS: IS D1 HOCKEY AT ILLINOIS DAYS AWAY?
The University of Illinois (@Illinois_Alma @IlliniHockey) along with officials from the @NHL and @NCAAIceHockey are holding an event Tuesday, May 14 at @BigTen headquarters in Park Ridge, IL. pic.twitter.com/BfrhBNj2FB— College Hockey (@USCollegeHockey) May 6, 2019
And…
Per a highly-placed source, next's week's Big Ten gathering is an "event" and not necessarily a news conference. Not sure what that means, but I still see a @B1GHockey team in orange happening before too long. https://t.co/wLcrgOEJag
— Jess Myers (@JessRMyers) May 6, 2019
If you hear something enough times, it has to be true, right? At least it gives us something to talk about during the summer months.
Per a Big Ten source, the conference recently instructed teams not to schedule non-conference games for the 2021-22 season and beyond, likely to allow the league time to figure out its new conference format with the University of Illinois D1 elevation gaining momentum.
— Joe Meloni (@JoeMeloni) May 6, 2019
An eighth Big Ten hockey team would be a positive. I say the more the merrier.
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