Otterbein is a campus of athletes. With only a couple thousand students and 21 collegiate sports offered, athletics is a significant part of the school’s culture. It can always be better, though, and one major addition that Otterbein athletics has failed to capitalize on is ice hockey.
I grew up around the sport and have played since I was four years old. I have played internationally and have been involved with hockey at the collegiate level previously. With this background in the sport, it absolutely astounds me that Otterbein hasn’t made the move to add a program.
There are three main reasons why Otterbein getting a program makes perfect sense.
The first has to do with Otterbein’s chance to corner a large market with little competition. In the state of Ohio, there are only two true Division III schools offering the sport, both of which are over an hour away from the city. Out of these two only one offers an NCAA program.
Most large schools in the state also offer Division III opportunities. These schools are still far destinations, and incredibly competitive to get involved with due to out-of-state recruiting. This gives Otterbein the chance to build a real hockey dynasty, feeding off the overlooked Columbus market.
Otterbein would be seen as the close-to-home option without the threat of out-of-state roster competition. For many of these local players, Otterbein would also be the familiar option. The proximity of the university to Columbus would give Otterbein an undoubted recruiting advantage, allowing for quick growth.
The second reason that Otterbein is a prime landing spot for a future hockey program is logistics. Otterbein is conveniently located within 17 minutes of six ice rinks, meaning ice-time will never be hard to come by. This would save Otterbein more money than other programs because Otterbein would not have to build and maintain its own rink, as well as having a lower hourly cost to use the facilities rather than a college that only has one or two local rinks.
Finally, adding a hockey program would do great things for student retention and would bring in new students to the university. The school could add a men’s as well as a women’s team, increasing gender diversity on campus as well as expanding the overall community. The advantage goes far past the athletes themselves coming. More individuals from Columbus attending the school increases the odds of their friends and family being interested in possibly coming to Otterbein as well. This could create a cycle in which people would come to be around friends and stay, rather than transferring for that very reason.
It is undeniable that there are drawbacks to starting a hockey program from scratch. Insurance would be expensive, as well as the upfront cost of uniforms, and transportation would be a large commitment.
But in the long run, the benefits greatly outweigh the investment, not just for the university but also for the community.
Out of all Division III colleges, 25% already have some sort of hockey program; it’s just a matter of when Otterbein decides to cash in on the unique opportunity that faces them.
