"Don't mistake my kindness for weakness."
It's a quote that comes to mind with the news that Robert Morris, working with the Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation, is open to potentially reinstating the men's and women's hockey programs it unceremoniously dropped six weeks ago in time for the 2021-22 season.
Once again, college hockey came together to help a program under duress. Like Alabama Huntsville, Alaska Anchorage, and others before (Bowling Green comes to mind), Colonials hockey is not going without a fight.
I can't say enough good things about both the Pittsburgh and college hockey communities for the work done to get to this point. Six weeks ago I wouldn't believe it. News of RMU's decision was universally derided. Even then, it was a decision made by leadership that had no interest in sponsoring hockey programs and made it apparent that it absolutely no interest. Robert Morris did everything it could to erase its existence.
Through all that, the Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation (made up of RMU alums and prominent people in the Pittsburgh hockey community) went above and beyond to keep Robert Morris hockey in the headlines. They hired a top lawyer. They worked tirelessly even when current players, dumped to the cold at a time when most teams had already settled on their lineups, found new homes, or turned pro. They reached a point where RMU was open to reinstating both teams if they can raise a large amount of money in a short period of time.
No matter what happens, the people involved with the Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation should be proud of showing how the hockey community can be at its best when facing the worst occasions.
Sadly, they might be the only ones who truly come off well.
The Robert Morris leadership doesn't deserve credit or applause for Tuesday's announcement. The about-face RMU leaders did looks more like a Plan B that benefits them after Plan A - getting rid of hockey, a sport that the university President and other top brass wanted to get rid of - went so badly.
Moving the goalposts to "raise sufficient funds by the end of July" lets RMU off the hook by changing the conversation and perception. The university that went out of its way to promote its all-time fundraising and how cutting men's and women's hockey was part of a "strategic vision" rather than financial now sees an expensive sport that people want to keep as an opportunity.
At best, it's an acknowledgment of the community's kindness. At worst, it's a money grab and a worrying trend in college hockey that puts the onus back on the community. If they can't raise money quick by the end of the month and $7 million over the next five years, well too bad.
RMU is now the third university in the past year to resort to publicly raising money to save a program. Both Alabama Huntsville (successfully) and Alaska Anchorage (TBD) went to the GoFundMe well in the face of becoming independent, something Robert Morris does not face in wanting to come back for next season.
Seeing Robert Morris also go this route smacks more of an opportunity than anything else. What worries me is that more universities are coming to the conclusion that the hockey community will keep the sport afloat regardless of the university's contribution and forcing their hand. It's a trend that can spell disaster to several small programs beyond the RMUs of the world. The more often it happens, the more often this will be seen as a viable path. No one wins in that scenario.
Even then, raising the money does not guarantee safety (see: Alabama Huntsville dropping its program once again days after being a highlight on GoFundMe's homepage). Nothing has changed. The "strategic vision," the group that wants to get rid of the sport, the group that kept the sport off-campus with no hockey in a new building - all remains in place.
That quote? Well, it goes both ways. Robert Morris should not mistake the kindness of the hockey community as a sign of weakness that involves fundraising, but the community should not mistake RMU's kindness either. It's anything but.
Hopefully, it goes well for the sake of the Pittsburgh hockey community. Hopefully, two teams return. Throw in needing to build two completely new teams by scratch in a month and playing next season seems a bigger dream.
However, the biggest sign of where things stand at the moment is that the CHA and Atlantic Hockey each announced 2021-22 schedules without Robert Morris on the same day as RMU's announcement.
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