We’ll take two, please! Tennessee State University unveiled the first hockey jersey for an HBCU team. Tennessee State is the first HBCU to have a hockey team at its institution. The home blue jersey will be worn when the team debuts for the 2025–26 season.

Tennessee State announced the establishment of the hockey team last summer. Later that year, the university began to lay the foundation to build the program. The Tigers hit the ice during the 2024–25 season as a club hockey team. For the 2025–26 season, the team will play on a hybrid schedule, a mixture of games against other club teams and Division I teams. The goal for the 2026–27 season is to reach full Division I status. The university has been working with the American Collegiate Hockey Association and AAU to arrange suitable matches for the team. The university also plans to launch a women’s hockey team in the future.

Back in April, Tennessee State hired Duantè Abercrombie as the head coach of the men’s hockey team. Abercrombie is also an HBCU alumnus, attending Hampton University. Before joining the coaching staff at Tennessee State, Abercrombie coached for Stevenson University and the Washington Little Capitals. He has also served as a coaching development associate or guest coach for the San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Arizona Coyotes, Toronto Marlies, and Newfoundland Growlers. Abercrombie shared his excitement about his hire back in April.

“I am incredibly excited to embark on building this program, supported by God, my family, TSU students, alumni, and all those eagerly awaiting this moment. I firmly believe that one day TSU will be recognized not only as a powerhouse on the ice but also as a program whose student-athletes leave a profound legacy on the world, enriched by the lessons learned at TSU.”

Now that the ball is rolling for the 2025–26 season, Abercrombie plans to hit the road to recruit more players. His first stop is the annual Black Hockey Summit hosted by Hockey Equality in Toronto. Earlier this year, forward Xavier Abel became the first player to commit to the program after transferring from Drury University in Missouri.