Binghamton University is currently conducting a study into the possible addition of a men’s hockey program.
Binghamton president Harvey G. Stenger confirmed that the school was looking into the possibility of men’s hockey in a recent letter to the university.
“Collegiate sports are an important part of our University experience,” he said. “Currently, more than 400 students participate on our Division I athletics teams, and many more are active in our Club Sports programs. Binghamton’s Club Hockey team, for example, placed second in the nation at the Collegiate Hockey Federation Cup this year. Given the strength of this program, as well as growing interest in athletics, the University is currently conducting a study regarding the expansion of our athletics programs to include men’s ice hockey and women’s field hockey.”
Binghamton is a Division I school that competes in the America East conference.
The school technically had a D-III hockey program in the late-80s. Back then, the school was known as the State University of New York-Binghamton, and the athletic teams were named the Colonials.
The program ended in 1992 and the school became Division I when it was renamed Binghamton University in 1999. The athletic teams were then renamed the Binghamton Bearcats.
The club program is currently in Division I of the ACHA playing in the Northeast Collegiate Hockey League.
The Visions Veterans Memorial Arena is located in downtown Binghamton. It is not owned by the university (Broome Country owns the building) but it has been a longtime home to minor league hockey. The Binghamton Devils (the former AHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils) played there from 2017-20. Currently, the Binghamton Black Bears of the FPHL play in the building, but it’s a possible home for a potential D-I Binghamton University program.
The arena seats 4,710 for hockey and was home to AHL hockey from 1977-97 (the Binghamton Whalers) and then again from 2002-20 (Binghamton Senators and Binghamton Devils).
The arena is just a 3-mile drive from Binghamton’s main campus.
