Forgive my ignorance but 1. Is there any interest at Pitt to take the hockey team to the D1 level and, if so, 2. What would it take to do that?
Hockey
- Thread starter Pitt_Panther
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There is no chance Pitt will be adding D1 hockey anytime soon. If Pitt adds a sport it will certainly be a women's sport, because Pitt is most likely not in compliance with Title IX right now. Adding another men's sport like hockey would exacerbate the situation.
It would take someone fully endowing both a men's and women's program and also paying for a facility like what happened at PSU. Other than that, no dice. In other words, it would have to cost the athletic department nothing, because the athletic department can't cover its expenses as is.
The most likely sport to be added would be lacrosse (not that it will actually happen). ACC is the best league and their is no pro team so it could have a nice little niche fanbase. Also, there is a facility already (the soccer field).
I think Men's & Womens golf would be added before lacrosse. In total that's only 4.5 schollies for men and 6 for the women.
I read somewhere ACC schools have to pay a "fine" if they don't participate in an ACC offered sport.
I read somewhere ACC schools have to pay a "fine" if they don't participate in an ACC offered sport.
I doubt anything will be added soon, but a new AD could change things. In the past, the most likely add was women's rowing because it is the biggest possible offset to men's scholarships for Title IX with an NCAA max of 20. While it is expensive equipment wise, they'd also have to rent or build a boathouse on the river, but that is also beneficial because it avoids further overcrowding the very limited competition and practice venues on Pitt's main campus (which is another reason why, for instance, you're unlikely to ever to see lax added unless additional fields could be built). Rowing also benefits from the fact that extensive travel budgets wouldn't be needed: there are only a handful of large invitationals and meets that can be kept fairly local and no round-robin dual meet schedules; plus they'd drive everywhere (and one of dates each year would always be in Pittsburgh at the Head of the Ohio, another 2 in Philly...Head of the Schuylkill and the Dad Vail... a large one in Fairfax, VA, and they'd row regularly against WVU and Duquesne). There is also a fairly successful existing Pitt club team that is already regularly competing against varsity teams and the rowing community in Pittsburgh is established and well regarded. It is also an ACC sport. Bottom line, rowing would be, by far, the easiest sport to add and the best Title IX bang for your buck.
I don't believe the ACC fines you, but you do get more money if you sponsor more ACC sports...which makes sense, because the ACC reimburses some team expenses for traveling to ACC championships. There is no way extra ACC money would make any of these sports profitable though. Could that change depending on how ACC Network profits are distributed (if there is bonuses for appearances by these minor sports)? Maybe, but probably not enough to make a difference.
Pitt should not add anything. It is a financial advantage to stay small if possible because it certainly isn't among the top schools in gate revenue, booster contributions, or athletic endowment income. So it has to be efficient, and one way to do that is not add to your financial costs by supporting sports that are never going to financially cover their own operations. If Title IX is an issue, they'll likely add rowing unless the ACC Network factors into adding something more conducive to TV coverage.
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