???Following two Mid-American Conference championships by the football team and the women's tennis team in addition to a Dad Vail Regatta title by the rowing team, Athletic Director Warde Manuel is preparing for the future of his department in the years ahead.
???Other than making sure that current sports are well maintained, Manuel is looking at the possibility of adding new sports to the department.
Many members of both the local and campus community question why the athletic department lacks a Division I hockey program. Local schools such as Niagara University and Canisius College have hockey programs that are popular.
???Harrison Boulay, a UB alumnus, feels that it's imperative that UB creates a hockey program.
???"If they do not immediately jump into [Division I], then there needs to be some kind of formal program that is striving to reach that point," Boulay said. "Buffalo is a huge hockey city to begin with, with the potential for the fan base to extend well beyond the student body."
???Manuel believes that Buffalo would be a great place to implement a hockey program.
???"UB had a hockey program up until about 1981, but then they dropped it," Manuel said. "If I had to start over from scratch, I would definitely add hockey as one of the first programs here."
???While hockey would be an ideal sport for a school that is mere minutes away from Canada, there are several concerns that Manuel is worried about. One of them is the financial situation surrounding New York State.
???"The economic times this year is a big deal," Manuel said. "Getting a sport like hockey is very costly."
???Another issue would revolve around conference affiliation.
???"Currently, there are four [Mid-American Conference] schools in the [Central Collegiate Hockey Association], so it wouldn't make sense to make our own league," Manuel said. "So, the real question is now, what would be best for Buffalo? Where could we find affiliation?"
???For Manuel, the third and final issue would be the stabilization of the program.
"In the next two to three years, I really don't want to be part of adding something that will be dropped in the future," Manuel said. "There has to be an overall commitment to the program. It has to be substantial enough for my comfort level that future leadership wouldn't question things and drop that sport."
???Even though hockey is one of the main sports on the minds of many, Manuel has his eye on other possibilities. Programs such as men's volleyball or even men's and women's lacrosse are something that Manuel is considering down the road.
???"We are at a better position now to see what we could possibly add in two-three years," Manuel said. "Men's volleyball has a great showing and a great following. Lacrosse is also a very strong sport that has a heavy presence in Western New York and the Northeast... As we continue into the future when we're ready to add sports, those are the five on the table for us to look at."
???Although programs like lacrosse or men's volleyball are less costly than any ice hockey program, Manuel stressed that finances won't be the deciding factor when it comes to expanding into other areas.
"I think it's an equal playing field," Manuel said. "Obviously the expenses are vastly different from [sport to sport], but that won't be the only factor... We'd have to find a league for lacrosse. For men's volleyball, there are very few teams, but a huge thirst for programs who have them."
???One aspect of expansion that Manuel promises to focus on is that of gender fairness. According to the Department of Justice, the Title IX ruling of 1972 states that there is "gender equity for boys and girls in every educational program that receives federal funding."
???"Gender equity is something that we take notice to very highly here at this campus," Manuel said. "We would look for that balance. If we were going to jump in with ice hockey, I want to jump in with both feet and add [both men's and women's teams] here."
No matter what Manuel decides to do, he emphasizes that support from both the campus and the local community is vital to any success new programs could have.
"We need the verbal support from people to turn into buying tickets and standing in the stands and supporting kids," Manuel said. "As we develop and grow and stabilize financially, then we can decide if we want to add sports on top of what we have," Manuel said. "There are many questions that we need to answer as we head into the future. If we can answer them, I would look at expansion at that time."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
