Tennessee State Hockey Program On Thin Ice

Making history in any area of sports is a challenge, and the Tennessee State Tigers’ hockey program is realizing that firsthand. They are still slated to become the first HBCU with a hockey team, as they announced back in 2023 before that year’s NHL Draft. However, the program has experienced hurdles on their way towards dropping the puck for their inaugural campaign.

Their initial timeline had the hockey team playing their first game in 2024, but that was pushed back. In 2025, it was announced that their first season would be pushed back further to 2026-2027.

“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,” said Tennessee State interim president Dwayne Tucker in the summer of 2025. “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.”

TSU Hockey to Begin Inaugural Season in 2026-27 https://t.co/uilrbkrF4m

— Tennessee State Hockey (@TSUTigersHockey) July 10, 2025

As of the middle of the summer in 2026, there are real questions about whether the revised 2026-2027 start date can be realistically achieved. The requisite funding to get operations off the ground still don’t appear to be there.

“I can tell you we’re not going to move forward with a hockey program if the sustainable funding is not there,” Tucker said in June 2026. “Because if you flip back over to the university side, unfortunately, there’s no funds through 2030 that we can provide to a start-up program.”

The school appears to be in a difficult position with regards to raising funding for other needs versus bringing the capital together for the hockey team.

“We need that money to help fix some of the modernization that needs to take place on the campus, not another sport that couldn’t be standing on its own,” Tucker said. “You can’t have your alumni and everybody else competing on fundraising for two different things.”

The initiative to bring the Tigers’ hockey team to life has been supported by the NHL’s Nashville Predators. In 2025 and this summer in 2026, the Predators reiterated their support for the venture.

“We continue to look forward to helping to make the Division I hockey dream a reality at Tennessee State,” said Nashville Predators Chief Marketing Officer Bill Wickett in 2025. Wickett also spoke about the productive conversations he’s had with the university this year.

The NHL also provided the school with a $250,000 grant, but Tennessee State men’s hockey coach Duante Ambercrombie spoke about the estimated cost of running a DI hockey program, which range from $900,000 to $3 million.

“I have faith in the Nashville Predators, I have faith in the NHL,” Abercrombie said. “And, more importantly, I have faith in my institution that they will find a path forward that is positive for the hockey program.”

Welcome to 2024 from “The Crossroads of the World” to #RoarCity. pic.twitter.com/0RkTzZ2stG

— Tennessee State Hockey (@TSUTigersHockey) January 1, 2024

As of this writing, Tennessee State and the NHL have not officially postponed the revised start date for the Tigers’ hockey program from 2026, but it is clear that their remain a lot of loose ends to address.