Robert Morris university announced on Wednesday that it is partnering with the Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation in an attempt to raise money for the reinstatement of the school’s Division I men’s and women’s ice hockey programs.
The university announced on May 26 that it was folding the teams with no forewarning to players, coaches or alumni and no opportunity for those stakeholders to raise money to save the team before the public announcement.
Those stakeholders formed the Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation in an effort to see the teams reinstated, began raising funds and sought legal counsel to prevent the school from moving forward.
According to the university press release, representatives of the school and the foundation met on Monday and agreed to work together in raising funds in order for the team to be financially solvent in the long term.
The school’s fundraising goal is $7 million over the next five years. Preliminary fundraising would need to be completed by July 31 in order for the teams to compete this fall.
Meanwhile, the vast majority of the teams’ players have entered the NCAA transfer portal and many have committed to play elsewhere.
Women’s hockey players Michaela Boyle (Boston College), Maggy Burbidge (St. Francis Xavier), Emily Curlett (Ohio State), Arielle Desmet (Syracuse), Raygan Kirk (Ohio State), Molly Pedone (Utica) and Lexi Templeman (Ohio State) and men’s hockey players Brendon Michaelin (Ferris State), Randy Fernandez (Canisius), Grant Hebert (Maine), Bradley Stonnell (Wisconsin-Superior) and Joran Timmons (LIU) have all already announced intentions to transfer elsewhere.
