Tennessee State University in Nashville has announced that it is establishing a men’s ice hockey team. Tennessee State will be the first historically Black educational institution to have an ice hockey team.
TSU Hockey will commence its inaugural season in 2024, signaling a new era for the university. The team will begin as a club-level program but aspires to achieve NCAA Division I status for both men’s and women’s sides in the near future.
The Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League have been an active partner with the university in raising money for the new athletic program. The Predators organization has maintained a strong relationship with TSU and began the partnership by joining the university in its February 2020 ‘One Million in One Month’ fundraising campaign as a major contributor. The Predators have continued to donate to the TSU’s scholarship programs and provide internship and job opportunities to university students.
“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,” said Glenda Glover, president of Tennessee State University. “We appreciate our ongoing partnership with the Nashville Predators which has played a pivotal role in our decision to pursue this historic undertaking. TSU has a tremendous legacy in athletics. Adding ice hockey to our programs will start a new chapter and build upon that legacy.”
