Hockey club funds and runs themselves
Utah State club sports do not receive the same funding as school-sanctioned sports, forcing players to provide most of the funding. Despite facing financial hurdles, USU hockey and their supporters have found innovative ways to fundraise and strengthen their program.
Player dues, ticket sales and community sponsorships form the financial backbone of their team.
Player dues vary depending on factors like player position and tenure. A first-year team member will pay close to $1,750 while returning players have a lower cost of $1,400.
“A freshman pays more for their jerseys, helmets and gloves,” said Brendan Woolcott, a senior defenseman for the Aggies. “Goalies buy a lot of their gear. It’s custom for them, so it’s pretty expensive.”
There are no current USU scholarships for the club hockey team. If a player does have one, it’s academic.
“Many guys on the team have part-time jobs and jobs over the summer to help get themselves through the school year,” said Trace Farr, a defenseman on the team.
Ticket sales are where most of the funds come from.
A few days before a home game, the team dresses up in their jerseys to promote it.
“A main source of our revenue is ticket sales, so that’s why you’ll always see us standing outside if the weather’s good, or in the TSC, marketing with little fliers,” said Titan Anderson, the team’s goalie.
The team is blessed with a generous community of sponsors and fans who make their season possible.
Two major sponsors of Aggie hockey include ScyTek Laboratories and Summit Pizza Co. During the game, the team highlights their sponsors during power plays and penalty kills.
“We put their logo up on the screen and our PA announces something like, ‘Your Aggies are on a Summit Pizza Co. powerplay. Summit Pizza Co. is a proud sponsor of the Utah State Hockey Club’, ” Woolcott said.
All sponsors are announced the same way throughout the games, simply listing their names followed by “…. are proud sponsors of Aggie Hockey!”
One of the team’s most successful fundraising endeavors was the creation of the “Aggie Fund.” It is much like GoFundMe, but for the Aggies. This initiative, launched ahead of the national tournament last year, allowed students, parents and Aggies fans to donate funds to support the team’s travel expenses.
“We were very fortunate to receive around $23,000 from the community and alumni last year,” Farr said. “This year, we plan on utilizing the Aggie Fund again as we strive to qualify for the National Tournament once more.”
Utah State hosted the Mountain West College Hockey League Championship tournament from Feb. 8-10 at the George Eccles Ice Center.
After a win against Providence on Feb. 10, the Aggies became the 2024 Mountain West Collegiate Hockey League champions. Their season is not over quite yet as they prepare for the American Collegiate Hockey Association Regionals and Nationals,
in St. Louis, Missouri.
Donations to the team can be made through the USU hockey website at usuhockey.com.