Robert Morris hockey programs to be reinstated for 2023-24 season taken in Altoona, Pa.  (Robert Morris)

RMU ATHLETICS

Robert Morris women's hockey team

ALTOONA, Pa. -- After a tumultuous 205 days wondering if there would ever be NCAA Division I hockey at Robert Morris again, president Chris Howard gave the answer many had hoped for: there will be it just won't be until 2023-2024. 

"We are back," men's hockey coach Derek Schooley said. "I am so proud of the work that the RMU Athletic Department, the Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation, the hockey community and all Colonial supporters have put in to make this campaign successful. I'm looking forward to continuing the positive momentum that we've established to raise funds for our programs, and I'm also excited to reestablish RMU hockey and putting us back on the NCAA map."

The reinstatement comes after months of fundraising by the PCHF as well as the university who had set goals of $1.4 million in cash and $1.4 in pledges in the first two years. 

Athletic director Chris King announced the decision to thirteen players still remaining in the programs prior to the 11:00 a.m. press conference. Those players will continue to get their scholarships and the athletic department is working with the NCAA to ensure they will be in compliance to still play if they choose to do so.

This helps put the finishing touches on a saga that began in May when Howard announced the elimination of the programs as a cost-cutting maneuver during a time when Robert Morris was trying to become more diverse. The move came as a shock to all involved and forced a ripple effect causing Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert to resign from the board of trustees. 

The backlash came from all angles of the hockey community as well as from the Pittsburgh community as the timing impacted players' ability to seek playing elsewhere and left the coaching staff's out of work with little opportunity elsewhere at that point in the season.

Our exclusive reporting helped uncover that Colbert's departure came as a result of there not being a vote held among the board of trustees, something Howard later confirmed as the board taking a straw poll to determine the programs' fate. At that time, the school had no intentions of fundraising to restore the programs even though, there was a Go Fund Me page set up with over $300,000 donated following the decision to cut the programs. 

In July, the Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation led by the efforts of two-time Olympic silver medalist and Robert Morris alum Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle and her husband, Logan Bittle came to be. The foundation was started as a result of a band of former players and alums as well as current student-athletes decided to pursue legal representation in hopes of bringing the programs back.

Those efforts have resulted in the programs raising over $2.8 million in financial support. To do so they put together a charity game with local celebrities and Colonial alumni. 

The celebrities comprised of former Steelers Shaun Suisham and Brett Keisel as well as former Pirate Neil Walker and former Penguins Ryan Malone, Colby Armstrong and Phil Bourque helped kick-start the final period of fundraising to get up to the deadline. 

"WE DID IT!!!" Malone exclaimed in a text to DK Pittsburgh Sports.

The efforts of Malone and the aforementioned celebrities provided the kick necessary to get the fundraising to the finish line.

"Given the passion and enthusiasm of the hockey community, we wanted to give the fans of RMU hockey every opportunity to bring the programs back – and they rose to the occasion," Howard said. "We are gratified by the support of our students, their families, our alumni and the entire greater Pittsburgh region. This is the beginning of a journey, not the end. We will all work together to ensure the continued success of the programs."

All of that has led to this day, the resurrection of Robert Morris hockey. Robert Morris will have to apply for reinstatement in each of their respective conferences and King has already begun those conversations.

They will also be using the 2022-23 season to recruit and rebuild the programs to be at a level that can compete national and achieve the level of success they had before the teams had been eliminated.

There's still work to be done, recruiting and fundraising to continue throughout this year as the Colonials prepare for their return to the ice in 2023-24. The Hockey is the Goal campaign put forth by Robert Morris will continue in hopes of adding to the sustainability of the programs.

"Hockey was the goal ..." Schooley said. "And the goal was just scored."

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