Tennessee State’s highly anticipated hockey program is in jeopardy, per a report by The Athletic. The university is looking to secure funding for the program within the next month, or the program could potentially be “shuttered.”
Tennessee State president Dwayne Tucker spoke with The Athletic and said that the university is seeking financial support to ensure the hockey program’s long-term sustainability, including scholarship funding and operational costs. He added that a decision regarding the program’s future is expected within the next month.
“I can tell you we’re not going to move forward with a hockey program if the sustainable funding is not there,” Tucker said to the publication. “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.”
Tucker said the university faces competing financial priorities and questioned whether it could justify continuing to subsidize the hockey program.
“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.”
In 2023, Tennessee State announced the launch of a club hockey team in partnership with the Nashville Predators. However, in July 2025, the start of competition for the program was delayed until the 2026-2027 school year. The delay was meant to provide more time for essential functions for the start of the hockey program, including fundraising and recruiting.
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