Since then, Ohio Hockey has seen a lot of success in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, or ACHA, at the Division I and Division II levels. From 1994 to 2004, Ohio won four national championships, according to the ACHA website. The team has continued to be successful in recent years, which raises the question, “Is it time for Ohio Hockey to return to the NCAA?”

Teams have made the switch from ACHA to the NCAA in the past and seen success. Arizona State started its switch in the 2015-16 season in which it played a split ACHA and NCAA schedule, according to Bleacher Report.

In 2016, the Sun Devils made the full switch to the NCAA. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as it sounds to make the change. By far the biggest factor that allowed ASU to make the transition is the $32 million donated to the cause.

Since making the transition, the program has been successful at the NCAA level. In 2019, the Sun Devils made the NCAA Tournament. Arizona State opened its new facility, Mullett Arena, in 2022, which it shares with the Arizona Coyotes, according to the arena’s website.

Starting next season, the Sun Devils will join an NCAA conference, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, or NCHC, according to the conference website. The investment in the transition is already paying off for Arizona State.

Ohio Hockey would require a lot of fundraising to make the NCAA dream a reality. Hockey is an expensive program which is why a lot of schools only have club teams if they have any team at all. Ohio would need to revamp Bird Arena or, like Arizona State, create a new arena altogether. Mullett Arena cost nearly $137.2 million to bring to life, according to the ASU website. However, some of those renovations include modifications to accommodate the Arizona Coyotes.

The University of Connecticut also built a new hockey arena that opened in 2023, according to the Hartford Business Journal. The Toscano Family Ice Forum is a $48 million state-of-the-art hockey arena. It seats 2,600 spectators, which is 600 more than Bird Arena currently seats. Ohio does not have to make investments this big, but facilities are a big part of bringing in recruits.

There are some comparable schools that Ohio University would be in direct competition with when it comes to recruiting. Bowling Green State University and the University of Miami both have NCAA Division I hockey programs. The MAC does not support hockey, so Bowling Green competes in the CCHA and Miami competes in the NCHC.

“You see the success that we've had recruiting here at the club level... We can only imagine if we're able to give out scholarships and compete against big universities.”-Lionel Mauron

Both schools have much larger hockey arenas than Ohio. According to its website, Miami’s Goggin Ice Center opened in 2006 and was constructed at the low price of $34.8 million. Bowling Green’s Slater Family Ice Center was constructed in 1967. The Slater Family Ice Center is much older than Goggin Ice Center, but it seats 5,000 spectators compared to Goggin’s capacity of approximately 4,000.

Those comparisons to two other similar Ohio universities are important to keep in mind while recruiting. However, bringing in recruits is not a worry for current Ohio Hockey Head Coach Lionel Mauron.

“You see the success that we've had recruiting here at the club level,” Mauron said. “We can only imagine if we're able to give out scholarships and compete against big universities.”

Brandon Wright, assistant professor of instruction in sports administration, said he believes that bringing Ohio Hockey to the NCAA Division I level is a real possibility. Wright worked for the NCAA as a “Governance Intern” from 2010 to 2011. He worked to bring together different boards and committees that would deal with rules, regulations and schools applying to be Division I programs.

“If Ohio University wants to have Division I hockey, I think they've got the infrastructure and the talent to be able to do so, but there is going to be some work on the back end,” Wright said. “If the athletic department and the university at large, (as well as) the community here in Athens, is willing to do it, it's very possible.”

Wright is not the only one who believes it could be a possibility. Ohio Hockey Alum Jason Danner was a part of the 1995 national championship team. His son, Xander, is a sophomore center for the Ohio Division II team. Jason Danner said he believes that moving to the NCAA Division I level would be great for the university. He is not very optimistic that it will happen anytime soon, but he would still like to see this dream become a reality.

“(It would bring) a lot more notoriety and national exposure,” Jason Danner said. “There are a lot of teams from when I was playing, Penn State, Arizona State, those two come to mind, that are D-I now … (but) I don’t think it’ll ever happen. You’re going to need a lot of backing from the university.”

Another issue that OU would face if it were to try to make the jump, is Title IX. Title IX requires that there be an equal number of men's and women's programs at any university or high school.

One possibility is that Ohio could try to begin a women's hockey program here. Ohio State University has seen a lot of success with its women’s program, winning the national championship in 2022 and being the runner-up in 2023.

“I think our school going Division I would be, in less than five years, a top 10 program in the country,”-Lionel Mauron

If Ohio were looking to promote a program that already exists, it could consider the women’s rugby team. The team is currently a club team but has a lot of members. Ohio University would have to invest even more money into this program as well, though.

If Ohio Hockey and the university could get past all those hurdles, then there is a possibility that it would be successful. Arizona State found success very quickly when it made the jump to the NCAA. Bowling Green and Miami have both seen their share of triumph over the years as well. All of that leads Mauron to believe Ohio University would be a sought-after program in the NCAA.

“I think our school going Division I would be, in less than five years, a top 10 program in the country,” Mauron said. “You see the fan support that we get, being a club team, filling out the rink every game. I think we could be the number one sport on campus pretty quickly.”