Tennessee State pushes back inaugural season of its men's hockey program to 2026-27
The Tigers will now start playing in the 2026-27 season rather than in 2025-26.
Tennessee State announced in June 2023 that it was planning to become the first historically Black college and university to sponsor Division I men's hockey. Duanté Abercrombie was hired as the program's first head coach in April 2024.
School officials said Thursday the decision to delay the start of competition was made in collaboration with the NHL, Nashville Predators and College Hockey Inc., and that it reflected their 'shared commitment to building a sustainable and competitive program from day one.'
'Working closely with the NHL and the Predators, we agree that an additional year will provide the program with the time and resources it needs to launch at full strength and with long-term financial success in mind,' Tennessee State Interim President Dwayne Tucker said in a statement. 'The extra preparation period will focus on recruiting, facility planning, staff development, and fundraising efforts. It also aligns with a broader vision to grow the sport of hockey in diverse communities.'
The release announcing the move noted that the school had received a $250,000 grant from the NHL/National Hockey League Players Association and continued support from the Predators.
'Deferring the inaugural season of TSU Tigers hockey to 2026-27 is the right step to build a foundation worthy of the university,' said Kevin Westgarth, the NHL's vice president of hockey development and strategic collaboration. 'TSU has faced challenges before and always met them and come back stronger, and we expect hockey to be the latest chapter of that story.'
___
AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Marcus Morris Taken Into Custody, Markieff Reacts To Arrest
Marcus Morris Taken Into Custody, Markieff Reacts To Arrest originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Former Los Angeles Clippers forward Marcus Morris was reportedly arrested in Florida and is being held without bond on a fraud charge. As reported by TMZ first, the statement read: "Marcus Morris Sr. has been arrested on a fraud charge in Florida ... TMZ has learned. The 13-year NBA veteran was taken into custody Sunday in Broward County, Florida, according to online booking records." The veteran forward was reportedly arrested on an out-of-state warrant for writing a bad check, implying that he bounced a check and is currently being held in custody for it. Morris has had run-ins with the authorities in the past as well. In 2012, the 35-year-old was charged with battery, leading him to enter a diversion program for rehabilitation purposes. In 2015, he was also charged with assault in an alleged brawl, but he was acquitted of these charges. The incident drew a direct response from his twin brother, Markieff. The former Lakers forward reacted to the news of his brother's arrest and tweeted: "The wording is crazy. Damn for that amount of money they'll embarrass you in the airport with your family. They got y'all really thinking bro did some fraud shit. They could have came to the crib for all that. When y'all hear the real story on this shit man. All I can say is Lesson learned. Bro will tell y'all tomorrow. This weird shit gave me a headache. Can't stop nothin!" The response from Markieff appears to present a positive outlook for the future as the matter seems to have been resolved. With implications that Marcus will be released soon to reveal the "real story," more information is expected to come to light. Update: The arrest was due to Morris' outstanding casino debt of over $1200, as per his agent. The Morris twins have been in the limelight as of late. Since Markieff's altercation with Nikola Jokic, the twins recently shared more on their beef with Jokic and his brothers. The back-and-forth has been an exciting sight for the fans. Marcus Morris Sr. was drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2011 with the 11th overall pick. After his rookie season, the forward was traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he was reunited with his brother. Morris has played on several teams throughout his career, including the Detroit Pistons, the Boston Celtics, and the Philadelphia 76ers. However, his brief stint with the Knicks and his time with the Clippers can be considered some of his most productive years in the league. With a career average of 12.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, Morris proved to be a solid role player on most teams he played for. Since playing with the 76ers and the Cavaliers in the 2023-24 season, Morris has remained a free story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
🏟️ Next milestone: Women's Euros set stunning new record
The 2025 Women's European Championship has set new standards: with a total of 657,291 spectators, the tournament recorded the highest total attendance in the history of a Women's European Championship. This clearly surpassed the previous record from 2022 and underlines the continuously growing interest in women's football. Games in front of sold-out stands, an increasingly passionate fan atmosphere, and strong TV ratings characterized the past three weeks in Switzerland. In comparison to the men's Club World Cup games taking place at the same time, the European Championship matches achieved significantly better TV ratings. Once again, it was confirmed: women's football is and remains on a growth course! This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here. 📸 FABRICE COFFRINI - AFP or licensors
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A bittersweet weekend for IndyCar's Arrow McLaren at Laguna Seca
On paper, it was a solid weekend for the papaya squad, Arrow McLaren. Christian Lundgaard scored a podium, Pato O'Ward was a solid fourth and Nolan Siegel led his first laps of the 2025 season. But it came with a disappointing conclusion for Siegel and a championship likely lost for O'Ward. Lundgaard was the star of the day for the group. O'Ward rolled off second, but the Dane finished there from seventh after pitting earlier than his rivals to gain ground with an undercut. That led him to third, where he used a bold overtake to sneak past Colton Herta for the runner-up spot. He didn't have the pace to challenge frontrunner Alex Palou after a couple late cautions, but held onto second to give the organization its 11th podium on the year - a new high mark for the squad. 'I knew that the pit sequences are really key here,' Lundgaard said of his run. 'We went into this race not knowing if it was going to be a red (tire) race or a prime race. It ended up being a red race and I just can't thank this team enough.' O'Ward put together a complete weekend, qualifying second and finishing fourth on a day where the strategy and speed didn't fall his way. It was a solid result that continued a streak of success for the Mexican star. He's finished seventh or better in nine of the past 10 races, with two wins and five podiums. In many years, that would be enough to challenge for his first IndyCar title. But the consistency has come in a dominant year for Palou. The Chip Ganassi Racing star's seven (now eight) wins left O'Ward in need of major gains in Laguna Seca to have a chance to close within reach for the championship. But after Palou's win, he now holds a 120-point championship advantage with just three races remaining. The Spaniard could clinch the title next time out at Portland International Raceway. Barring an absolute meltdown - and despite O'Ward's best efforts - the championship battle likely ended Sunday under the California sun. Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren Then, there was Siegel. Running in his home state, the Palo Alto native was the only driver not named Palou to lead laps on Sunday. An alternate strategy put him out front for 11 laps early on before Palou surged past him in turn 3. Even after that, Siegel was still positioned to make the most of a race he'd started 16th in. But that all fell apart in the closing stages, when Siegel went for a spin at the Corkscrew. He attempted to make a pass on Louis Foster, but made contact and briefly looped around before rolling on. Siegel ultimately took the checkered flag in 18th, continuing a streak of four-straight races with an average finish of 21.75 after he'd scored results of eighth and 11th at Road America and Mid-Ohio. In the end, every driver at Arrow McLaren showed promise in Laguna Seca. Two of the team's drivers finished in the top-four spots and the other led laps. But with Siegel showing his inexperience and Palou continuing to dominate, there was little else on offer to be joyous about in the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey. Read Also: Arrow McLaren expands IndyCar operations with new Indianapolis facility Pato O'Ward, Arrow McLaren score strategic win in Indy Toronto Arrow McLaren's Nolan Siegel cleared to race in Toronto To read more articles visit our website.
