Wayne State University will discontinue sponsorship of the men’s hockey program at the end of the current academic year. The decision, approved by the WSU Board of Governors today, was necessary due to continuing reductions in state appropriations to higher education.
“Anytime you eliminate a program, it is a very difficult move. We exhausted every possible option before taking this step,” stated WSU Director of Athletics Rob Fournier. “The reality of the economics of the state of Michigan, the educational imperatives of the University, and the need to manage our resources effectively led to this difficult decision. Importantly, however, the educational objectives of the men’s hockey student-athletes will be protected.”
All current student-athlete scholarships will be honored provided they meet satisfactory progress standards under NCAA guidelines. Releases will be offered to those who wish to transfer to other schools next summer, where they will be eligible to participate immediately as the normal residency requirements of the NCAA are waived.
This will be the ninth year for the Warrior men’s hockey program and eighth consecutive as a member of College Hockey America (CHA), which includes Bemidji (Minn.) State University, Niagara (N.Y.) University, Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, and the University of Alabama-Huntsville.
Wayne State University won three consecutive CHA tournament titles (2001-02-03). Of the current seventeen (17) sport programs, men’s hockey is the most expensive and has the largest operating budget.
The decision does not impact the Wayne State University’s women’s hockey program.
