APSU announces new club hockey team, first step toward NCAA-sanctioned sport, at Ford Ice Center

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Austin Peay State University has partnered with the Nashville Predators and Sabretooth Sports & Entertainment to welcome a new club hockey team to Clarksville’s Ford Ice Center.

APSU President Mike Licari made the announcement on Wednesday at the center, in the F&M Bank Arena.

The new Austin Peay club hockey team plans to compete in the College Hockey South association and, according to Athletics Director Gerald Harrison, this is the first step toward building an NCAA-sanctioned college hockey team.

“When you look at it, there’s some things we need to do,” Harrison said. “We’re going to get some great sample size; we’re going to see the energy and passion in the community, as well as the students. If this works itself out and grows, then sure we’ll have the opportunity to look at that going into the future. But this is the first step of many.”

Harrison later added that the club hockey team is another opportunity to have athletics and bring people to F&M Bank Arena.

“As everyone saw today at the press conference, the bleachers were full, and people are energized. That’s what I want. If people are energized on campus about any form of sport, they’re going to be energized about all of our other varsity sports,” Harrison said.

Going into the first club season, the hockey team will be coached by Kane Eastwood, who has over 25 years of coaching experience in the game.

Growth of the game

After the announcement, Clarksville Now asked Predators spokesperson Pete Weber, former play-by-play announcer, about the growth of hockey in Middle Tennessee.

“This has been a tremendous story going back to my first year here in Tennessee in 1998. Terry Crisp was my broadcast partner at the time, and we held Hockey 101 classes at the Nashville Arena, which is currently known as Bridgestone Arena. After about two years, we realized the message was getting out pretty well.”

He said it’s been extremely gratifying seeing the sport of hockey grow throughout the state of Tennessee, which includes over 20 high schools offering the sport.