July 12th 2025.
It was a tough day for Tennessee State University's hockey program when they announced that their inaugural season would be pushed back to 2026-2027 due to financial difficulties caused by the state's underfunding. The program, which is the first ice hockey program at any Historically Black College or University (HBCU), was determined to overcome this setback and build a strong foundation for the future.
According to reports from The Nashville Banner, the state of Tennessee has underfunded the university by a staggering $544 million over the last 50 years. Despite these challenges, the staff members were committed to fundraising and recruiting players, as well as tackling the many logistical concerns that come with starting a program from scratch.
In a press release, Kevin Westgarth, the National Hockey League's VP of Hockey Development and Strategic Collaboration, praised the resilience of Tennessee State University and expressed confidence that the program would rebound from this delay. He stated, "Deferring the inaugural season of TSU Tigers hockey to 2026-27 is the right step to build a foundation worthy of the university. We have faith in President Tucker's vision and look forward to adding new names to the TSU Athletics history alongside legends like Olympic gold medalist Wilma Rudolph and NBA champion Dick Barnett. Hopefully, we'll see an ex-Tiger raise the Stanley Cup one day, not too far in the future."
The announcement to start a Division I hockey program at the university was made in June 2023, and it quickly gained support from the NHL and Nashville's NHL franchise, the Predators. The NHL's Industry Growth Fund was utilized to provide funding and resources for the fledgling program. However, the university's ongoing financial struggles resulted in a need for the hockey program to raise an additional $5 million to cover its first two seasons.
In a statement, TSU's interim president, Dwayne Tucker, explained that both the Nashville Predators and the NHL agreed that it was in the best interest of the program to delay its launch in order to secure the necessary funding for competition. "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," Tucker said.
Since his hiring in April 2024, the program's head coach, Duanté Abercrombie, has been leading the fundraising efforts, which will now shift to a community-focused model to encourage more donations and support for the hockey program. The goal is to keep the initial excitement and momentum of the program's inception alive.
Bill Wickett, the Predators' chief marketing officer, expressed the team's commitment to helping make the Division I hockey dream a reality at Tennessee State. He stated, "We applaud university leadership, led by Interim President Tucker, for its desire to ensure that when the Tigers step on the ice for the first time, they are doing it for a long time, and we pledge to walk hand-in-hand with that leadership in making it happen."
In related news, Tennessee State University recently signed its first hockey player, marking a significant step forward for the program. Despite the minor setback, the university remains determined to make its mark in the world of Division I hockey and create a lasting legacy for future generations of TSU Tigers.
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