BREAKING: University Of Illinois Is Set To Announce A Division I Hockey Program Per Buccigross

HUGE news from Bucci that was a long time coming. It is the worst kept secret that Illinois has been trying to add college hockey to their varsity athletics program. Feasibility studies, fund raising, etc. It has been in the works for years and while it felt like a sure thing many different times this is still the State of Illinois where good ideas go to die because a certain rep or administrator or alderman didn't get their beak wet enough. The Illini fought all of that and now it appears that they are set. Rink is getting built and the BigTen Conference wtih Penn State, Michigan, MSU, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Notre Dame are ready to welcome them with open arms. Great day for hockey in the state of Illinois. 

Illinois athletics is trending in the right direction. Basketball team is going to be back in the tournament. Football team just went to a bowl game. I would not be surprised if the hockey is the first sport among those three to win a conference championship though. If the Illini get the right coach they should be able to recruit Illinois which has a TON of in-state talent that was forced to flee the state. That all changes now. Get a pipeline from the Mission and USHL kids right to Champaigne-Urbana