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BREAKING: North Dakota To Cut Women’s Hockey Program

North Dakota axing programs due to budget cuts

By Grant Salzano
Team USA OneSisters Monique and Jocelyne Lamoureux hail from the University of North Dakota Year Out
Olympians Monique and Jocelyne Lamoureux hail from the University of North Dakota
Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images for the USOC

UPDATE: The University has met with the players and coaches, and has issued a press release making this news official. The program has been cut effective at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year. They will not field a team for the upcoming season.

According to Todd Milewski USCHO & the Wisconsin State Journal, the North Dakota Fighting Sioux will be cutting the sport of women’s hockey, among other sports, due to reductions in the school’s budget.

This is not official word, but there is expected to be an announcement at 3:30pm CT (4:30pm ET).

This had been rumored for several months now. The University saw a drop in funding from the state, which required campus-wide cuts in programs. At least a couple (or more) sports are expected to be part of the cuts, with women’s hockey reportedly on the list.

This is obviously bad for the sport in general. North Dakota is one of the strongest teams in the country, routinely finding itself in the top 10 in the national polls, and plays in the WCHA. They’ve also made it a habit of beating powerhouse Minnesota on an almost annual basis and have become quite a thorn in the Gophers’ side.

In addition, they have had several players make it onto past and current US National Team rosters.

This would have far reaching effects, not just at North Dakota and the WCHA, but nationally. One less strong team out west would see a bigger talent pools for the already-strong programs out west, which would give Boston College an even tougher uphill climb toward that elusive national title. It could also cause ripple effects for conference realignment. Might the WCHA add a team — such as Lindenwood, in the CHA — to keep at an even number of teams? And so on down the line.

Several current and former North Dakota players — including a current sophomore on the men’s team — have tweeted out their frustration.

It remains to be seen exactly when the program will be cut, but expect big changes in the women’s college hockey landscape over the next few seasons.

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