It isn’t easy finding an ice rink in Texas.

But when you do, you better be prepared to fork over some cash.

Sophomore political science major Ryan Acuff is finding that out.

Acuff is leading a group of students interested in bringing club ice hockey back to TCU.

Acuff, a Colorado native, said he had been around the game his whole life. Bringing hockey to TCU, and having the chance to participate in it, has always been something that has intrigued him.

“I’ve wanted to bring it here,” Acuff said. “I grew up watching college hockey in Colorado Springs. USA Hockey is headquartered there and a college program so I grew up going to those games and saw a lot of college stars go to the NHL.”

If similar schools like SMU and Baylor have teams, then there’s no reason why TCU can’t have one either, Acuff said.

“If they have a team, then I don’t understand why we can’t if we have an enrollment like they do,” Acuff said.

But the problem Acuff and his group is facing isn’t numbers; it’s money.

Club sports don’t come cheap, especially hockey, which requires expensive equipment and even costlier ice time.

Acuff said the typical rink rental rate is around $300 an hour. Plus, the nearest rink would be 20 minutes away in Euless, where the team would have to practice and play games. All in all, team costs would be at least $600 a person, Acuff said.

That’s why the group hopes to get funded by SGA. But first, they have to become official.
Cristie Carpenter, associate director of programs for Campus Recreation, said in an e-mail Tuesday that a club team had to apply through Student Organizations to become officially recognized.

After doing that, it was then eligible to apply for funding from SGA. Other than free first aid and CPR certifications and a first aid kit, Campus Recreation did not provide any other funding, Carpenter said. That meant teams must rely on either their own funding or money they receive from SGA.

Acuff said the group missed the spring registration deadline but since club season didn’t start until the fall, they’d decided to build up a bigger following and turn their focus on registering in the fall.

Students interested in joining the team can contact Acuff at [email protected].