Over and over again, Michigan women’s hockey coach Jenna Trubiano is met with the same question: “Are you going varsity?”
In theory, it’s a fairly straightforward question, but there is no clear answer. The Wolverines have flourished, competing at the highest level possible under the current circumstances while growing their reach on campus. The question, though, is only becoming more and more pertinent.
“It’s no secret that the state of Michigan (has) seven NCAA men’s programs and zero for women, which is the largest discrepancy anywhere,” Michigan women’s hockey coach Jenna Trubiano told The Michigan Daily. “And with the men’s varsity program being so prominent, a lot of people look at us like ‘Oh, why aren’t you varsity?’ … (It’s) the number one question I get.”
“Why aren’t you varsity?” is certainly a perplexing question — and it isn’t one that Trubiano can answer. Because Trubiano and the women’s hockey program have already done their part to show why they deserve varsity status.
Now it’s time for the University of Michigan to do its part.
Financial restraints, recruiting impediments and finite resources are just a few of the many roadblocks that Trubiano and the Wolverines face. Even with the barricades, Michigan continues pushing forward. But if the Wolverines had varsity status, they wouldn’t have to deal with them.
The overarching barrier is out of their control. It’s up to the Michigan athletic department to break through that barrier, but it hasn’t even started trying to knock it down.
Given the fact that the athletic department hasn’t lifted a finger, it doesn’t matter how much Trubiano has done for the program or how much women’s hockey has grown. As the sport is evolving, Michigan’s athletic department remains dormant. It’s not only a disservice to the Wolverines’ women’s hockey program, but also to the prosperity of women’s hockey as a whole.
And in a state without a single varsity women’s hockey program, stunting that growth is unacceptable.
The void in Michigan for Division I women’s hockey is detrimental. Girls who grow up playing the sport have just a few options, all less than ideal. One path is seeking a varsity hockey program out of state. Another avenue is playing at the club level. The final option is quitting the sport outright. Forced to sacrifice something with each option, there isn’t a good choice among them.
Michigan has an opportunity to be at the forefront of the growth of women’s hockey within the state, an opportunity to exhibit its mantra as the “Leaders and Best.” Remaining stuck behind the sport’s growth undermines what that mantra stands for. Being the first varsity program in the state is something that aligns with the high standard the University flaunts. And that’s what makes their lack of action so perplexing.
“I think hockey, for a lot of people, is something that they want to keep playing throughout their life,” senior forward Katie Christiansen told The Daily. “So not having the option to play in-state — especially a state like Michigan — is definitely deterring girls. I’ve seen a lot of girls quit after high school. But they loved it, they committed a bunch of time to it. It was their youth sport, they just didn’t have the avenue for it. So I think a program here would make a huge difference.”
The simple solution appears to be elevating women’s hockey to varsity status, making the Wolverines the first Division I varsity program in Michigan. And though that’s the ultimate goal, it’s not that simple.
It isn’t possible to wave a magic wand and award varsity status — the process takes years. So the longer it takes for the athletic department to even evaluate the possibility of removing the club tag, the longer the hockey team will have to wait. Athletic director Warde Manuel’s silence is deafening.
And there simply isn’t any plausible reason for Michigan’s stagnation, and that adds to the frustration.
There’s no reason to wait to take the first steps. The Big Ten already has several teams dominating the women’s college hockey scene. In fact, three schools in the conference rank in the top five of the Women’s College Hockey Poll. Their success proves there’s no reason the Wolverines can’t follow Ohio State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Penn State’s lead by adding varsity women’s hockey.
The first step to reaching that level is conducting a feasibility study. The evaluation, which takes about three months to complete, assesses several factors, the biggest being cost. At the conclusion of the evaluation, schools are provided a cost breakdown and a list of necessary steps to move forward.
“For the NHL to pay for a feasibility study, the request needs to come from an appropriate representative of the school, which has tended to be either the athletic director or the president,” Executive Director of College Hockey Inc. Mike Snee told The Daily. “So to put together a worthwhile study you need the cooperation with the school. Because you need information on budgets, information on strategic plans, information on other things that might be occurring in the athletic department that the public’s not aware of yet.”
Although University President Santa Ono hasn’t sent in any requests, his commitment to the team is extensive. Covering the estimated $40,000 cost of ice time for the 2023-24 season exemplifies his support for the women’s hockey program.
And while Ono is willing to dish out $40,000 in support of the women’s hockey program, the Wolverines’ athletic department can’t even submit a request to gather data. That failure to act is a slap in the face for women’s hockey as a whole.
The excuse can’t be the lack of demand, because there certainly is demand for women’s hockey right now. More people are watching women’s hockey than ever before.
This past Saturday, fans flocked to Detroit for the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s (PWHL) record-breaking matchup between Boston and Ottawa. 13,736 people filed into Little Caesar’s Arena. 13,736 people came to watch women’s hockey.
As the highest tier of women’s hockey took the ice, the recent growth of the sport was on full display. And for girls playing youth hockey across Michigan, it was encouragement to continue dedicating time, effort and energy to hockey. It’s proof that success on the biggest stage is attainable for women.
The Wolverines have worked incredibly hard to not only survive but thrive despite the massive restraints. But the athletic department’s failure to progress demonstrates how it isn’t capitalizing on the increased attention the sport is receiving. Instead, it’s actively holding back its growth.
Sure, the Wolverines have remained competitive at the club level, but that isn’t proof that the club status is sufficient. In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s a snapshot of how the program could prosper if it didn’t have to worry about covering the cost of ice time, or had help from the admissions department for recruiting.
At the club level, there’s only so much that the players and coaches can do. For the players, there’s no help with admissions or tuition coverage. And for the coaches, there’s no salary.
“Myself and our assistant coach Joe Upton, we have full-time jobs in addition to coaching, which really are our priorities given that those positions support us financially,” Trubiano said. “… When you look at other ACHA programs that we’re competing against, most of them have full-time coaches.”
That dedication exemplifies the passion that drives this program forward. Balancing a full-time job with head coaching responsibilities comes with an extensive amount of work and dedication.
As questions of “Are you going to varsity?” ring in her head, Trubiano is doing everything in her power to reach an answer.
And it’s time for there to be one. It’s time for Michigan to start pursuing varsity status for its women’s hockey program, and it’s time for the athletic department to step up.