Tulane University students can join just about anything — from Division I athletics to clubs like frisbee, rowing and even juggling. Yet one sport stands out for its constant uphill battle: hockey. Despite Tulane drawing students from some of the most hockey-obsessed corners of the country, the university’s club hockey program has spent years fighting for recognition, funding and stability. 

When Caroline Brown, a first-year law student from Charlottesville, Virginia, arrived at Tulane, she was shocked to learn there was no hockey team. A lifelong hockey player whose father owns their local rink back home, Brown has been skating since she was six. 

“When I came here, I was kind of surprised that there wasn’t already some sort of hockey group,” she said. “There are a lot of people from the northeast here who play, but there isn’t a club.”

That disbelief quickly turned into action. Last year, Brown and a few other like-minded students decided to form Tulane’s first hockey club since 2018. Today, she serves as the team’s vice president and one of its founding members, helping rebuild a program abandoned years ago. 

Tulane’s Hockey Club officially launched in 2024, but this semester marks its first true season.

“We played a couple of games and had much bigger numbers this year than last,” Brown said.

The club now includes roughly 90 members, though about 16 players regularly lace up their skates to play. 

Because New Orleans lacks an ice facility, the team travels an hour and a half east to the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi, where they rent the ice for $475 per practice.

“[It’s] a lot of paperwork,” Brown said. “We’ve got to get the rental agreement signed by club sports. You’ve got to make sure club sports wire the money … and then we’ve got to get everybody over there.”

Tulane played its first ice hockey game in seven years against Louisiana State University this fall, marking Tulane’s first ice hockey match in seven years.

“That was really big for us,” Brown said. “LSU actually has a very good hockey program.”

Securing opponents in the South has been challenging given how few collegiate hockey programs exist in the region. Beyond LSU, the team has reached out to regional programs like Mississippi State University, Auburn University, the University of Alabama, Kennesaw State University and the University of Jacksonville. The team will also compete in an outdoor tournament in Montgomery, Alabama this January — a milestone that suggests the sport is gaining popularity in the region.

While ice time is funded through Tulane Campus Recreation’s Club Sports program, many expenses, including travel and gas, often come out of the students’ pockets.

“We can get reimbursed by club sports, but that’s a huge hurdle,” Brown explained. “[It] takes about a year to actually get back to us.”

To help offset costs, the team recently launched a WaveStarter fundraiser, which has already raised about $2,000. Still, their limited budget covers only five ice sessions per semester, limiting practice time and scheduling flexibility. 

Despite the logistical and financial strain, the players’ enthusiasm is high. The team also hosts watch parties for NHL games and international tournaments.

For now, the club primarily welcomes experienced players who already have their own gear, since there is no budget for equipment. Brown said she hopes future funding will eventually open up opportunities for beginners. 

One of the biggest challenges, Brown says, is gaining recognition and consistent institutional support, especially from club sports.

“We were originally supposed to have three practices outside of our games, but they didn’t sign the rental agreement before the first practice,” Brown said. The delay forced the team to cancel an early-season game. 

Looking ahead, Brown hopes to build a lasting program by expanding the schedule to eight games a year, increasing visibility and ensuring the club doesn’t meet the same fate as its 2018 predecessor. 

Though the nearest rink is 90 miles away, the passion for Tulane’s club hockey is far closer to home. For Brown and her teammates, every road trip to Biloxi is more than just ice time — it’s a testament to dedication, teamwork and the belief that even in New Orleans, hockey can thrive.