01/18/2025
Here is the information I wrote up about the end of the BYU hockey program. The 4th Line podcast (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567286704711) just did an episode on the end of the program.
Something not addressed in this paper which was mentioned in the podcast was the effect of female student wanting to try out for the team.
While safety was an issue, we had let girls try out for the team in the past, and in fact the year before I started coaching at BYU they had a female goaltender on the team.
We had already accepted the application from this female student for the tryout, but she informed us that she had been told by BYU extramural office that the team was NOT coed and therefore she could not tryout for the team. In order to comply with BYU's instructions to her we refunded her money for the tryout. She asked if she could get on the ice at tryouts anyway, and at that point it was a safety issue given BYU's position on a girl trying out for the team. There is no evidence that this played much of a role in BYU's decision.
Here is the link to the paper with further details on the tragic decision by BYU's Office of Student Life: