Ed Snider Youth Hockey and Education pledged a matching grant of $15 million for a hockey arena on campus if the University can raise $15 million as well.
It is the largest single gift that the University has ever received.
Overall, the hockey arena is estimated to cost $35 million if plans go accordingly. This means that NU plans to spend at least $20 million on the project in addition to the Snider gift.
The building will include two hockey rinks, one for the NU teams to use and another for the Snider program which creates opportunities for under-resourced youth in the greater Philadelphia region.
The arena is expected to be built by 2026, but the money still needs to be raised.
Many students have mixed feelings about the news. While a new arena is exciting, students wonder how it is going to affect them.
John Altomare, a senior, shrugged that he is “probably never going to see it.”
“I've never been to a Neumann hockey game, so maybe having a hockey rink on campus would allow more students the opportunity to attend a game,” said Catherine Sands, a sophomore.
Sands also said that it makes her wonder how the school can afford this big project but not better WiFi, a concern echoed by other students.
Domenic Veneziale, a senior club hockey player, had many positive things to say about the new hockey rink. Explaining that he thinks it will be a great addition to the hockey program.
“I only wish they’d have done this sooner, so that I could’ve played there,” he said.
President and CEO of Snider, Scott Tharp explained to journalists that constructing this rink was a “no-brainer” because it will help fulfill the goal of expanding their program into the Chester area.
The new arena takes a previously existing relationship between Neumann University and the Snider program to another level.
The university still needs to get township approval. The arena is intended to be built behind the turf field on campus, close to nearby private homes.
The NU hockey team currently plays at Ice Works, a hockey rink on Dutton Mill Road in Aston.
The university is currently accepting donations on their website to help raise money.