​Tennessee State University’s men’s hockey program has once again canceled its inaugural season. The project, which would have marked the first ice hockey team at a historically Black public university, was initially slated to begin competition in the 2025-26 season. That plan was derailed by a fundraising shortfall, and now another setback has pushed the program’s start back further. According to a source with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the news has not been made public, the 2026-27 season has been canceled as well.
Attempts to obtain official comment from Tennessee State President Dwayne Tucker were unsuccessful, as he declined to speak about the ongoing situation. The university’s men’s hockey page remains sparse, listing no schedule, roster, or team events. The most recent update on the site was July 10 of last year, an announcement about the cancellation of the 2025-26 season, and requests for additional information about the hockey program have not been returned.
This delay comes three years after the team’s inception was first announced at Bridgestone Arena in the run-up to the 2023 NHL Draft. The Nashville Predators and the broader NHL community had played pivotal roles in championing the introduction of a TSU team, and a Predators representative confirmed ongoing support for the venture. However, it remains unclear whether the current postponement is driven by the same financial concerns that followed the 2025-26 cancellation, or if it is tied to broader turmoil within the university’s athletic department.
In May, six coaches submitted a vote of no confidence in TSU’s athletic director Mikki Allen. A letter dated May 29 to President Tucker raised concerns about “the current direction, leadership, communication, and operational management of the athletic department” under Allen’s leadership. Men’s hockey coach Duante Abercrombie was not among the six coaches named in the letter.
The ongoing TSU athletics situation has drawn attention amid broader questions about the department’s leadership and communication strategies. The ongoing uncertainty surrounding the hockey program’s future raises questions for students, supporters, and potential donors about how the university will navigate its athletic challenges and whether a viable path forward exists for a sport that has drawn significant attention and collaboration from local NHL affiliates.
This article originally appeared in the Nashville Tennessean and is part of continuing coverage of Tennessee State University athletics and its efforts to establish a groundbreaking program in men’s hockey. For further updates, readers are encouraged to follow reports from The Tennessean’s Derek Alex Daugherty and related coverage.