After 27 seasons as a Division l team, American International College in Springfield, has dropped their hockey program down to Division ll. The decision was announced by the college on Wednesday.
The hockey team’s head coach, Eric Lang, posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday saying , “The information shared with me today by our administration is saddening for all who have touched our program. No longer competing at the highest level, especially considering the incredible success we've had as a team over the past six years, is tough to grasp.”
AIC has been the place I've called my home for over 15 years of my life, as a player, a graduate assistant, and Head Men's Ice Hockey Coach. There have been some stops here and there along the way, but something always brings me back to the institution I love.
— Eric Lang (@ericlang9) November 12, 2024
The information…
In the post, Lang stated that the current team is still dedicated to their sport and are hopeful to make it to the NCAA tournament. The team has been competing in Division l since 1998, while the rest of the on-campus teams compete in Division ll.
In a statement college officials claim the changes will provide fair distribution of resources, for all the athletic programs.
“In an era of unprecedented disruption across the higher education industry, it is more important than ever that we do all we can to ensure AIC can adapt and evolve to best serve our students – those we serve today, and in the future," said Interim President Nicolle Cestero.
In the same statement, the college announced they will also eliminate women's tennis and wrestling.
Reactions from students on the campus were mixed. Some had feeling about specific teams being cut while others had no idea the changes were happening.
AIC student Jillian Richards speculated that athletic department changes like this are related to budget problems.
“It's not too surprising to me because I think our school is making a lot of changes with athletics right now," she said.
Another student, Ella Fong, agreed saying the students are being told it is budgeting.
"It's just kind of surprising to see that they're beating these well-known teams, and now they're just like going down to Division II. So, it's just kind of crazy to see," she said.
Student Makenna Slate believes this change will cause a negative impact on incoming players.
"I feel bad because a lot of people come here for hockey, because people do get recruited to go into the professional league," she said. "And now that they're Dll it might not happen for the players that committed this year."
The hockey team is currently in season and extends through February 2025.
