Tennessee State University will become the first HBCU to add college hockey to its athletic department.
The move was announced this week in collaboration with the NHL, NHLPA, and the Nashville Predators. The announcement comes ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft, which takes place in the city. Through the alliance, the goal is to achieve more diversity within the sport, which remains predominantly white.
TSU will have its men’s hockey program active by 2024, creating a Division I program that will eventually expand to women who are also underrepresented in the sport. TSU President Glenda Glover is on board with driving the efforts to diversify the league and offering students new sports to explore.
“Bringing ice hockey to Tennessee State University is a part of our continued commitment to provide our students with new opportunities and to broaden new interests in areas where they have traditionally had limited or no access,” Glover said in a statement. TSU athletic director Mikki Allen also agrees, praising the new sport option as a “new era of inclusivity.”
Additionally, the NHL has introduced an initiative known as the Player Inclusion Coalition. This program will bring together 20 former NHL and women’s professional hockey players who will look into ways to advance equality in the league. As of now, $1 million has been pumped into the program to push these efforts.
According to a 2022 report published by the NHL’s Executive Inclusion Council, 83.6 percent of professional hockey players are white, 4.17 percent Asian, and 3.74 percent Black.
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