Tennessee State’s HBCU Hockey Ambitions Delayed at Least a Year

Tennessee State University announced in June 2023 it’d become the first HBCU to launch a hockey program. Now, the school is reportedly postponing its intended inaugural season, which was scheduled to begin for 2025–26. 

On Tuesday, sources confirmed to the Tennessean the hockey program would be delayed until at least the 2026–27 season. In September 2024, TSU announced it was in a financial emergency after budget mismanagement, which threatened the school’s existence, prompted leadership turnover, and left the future of its athletic programs unclear. 

TSU had been sourcing grassroots fundraising for hockey even before the crisis, but the Tennessean reported that contributions have not been sufficient; it also noted TSU was hampered by a lack of facilities. The university has not yet publicly confirmed the news, and did not immediately respond to Front Office Sports’s request for comment. 

Speculation that TSU would not be able to play in the upcoming season began a few months ago, when Mike McMahon of College Hockey Insider reported that the program’s launch was in jeopardy. 

“I began asking around after they lost a commitment to Northern Michigan, and another committed player signed a pro deal in the KHL,” he tells FOS. “The independent schools announced an end-of-season tournament in May. TSU was not included. I asked a few of the ADs at those schools and they all confirmed [TSU wasn’t] ready to launch for 2025–26, which is why they were not included.” On TSU’s website, the hockey program does not list any upcoming events or roster.

TSU hockey planned an ambitious path from the start. In October 2024, head coach Duanté Abercrombie detailed to FOS the breakneck pace at which the school planned to stand up a program, which included a schedule packed with powerhouse competition. This April, Abercrombie announced TSU’s first game would be at Bridgestone Arena on Oct. 4 against Hockey East’s Boston University, which just competed in the NCAA Division I National Championship game. The game is also not listed on BU’s 2025–26 schedule, where the Terriers’ Oct. 4 opponent is LIU.