Worcester State announced Monday that it has signed a partnership agreement to serve as an anchor tenant with the Worcester Sports Center.
The agreement will begin in the fall of 2017.
The Worcester Sports Center, currently under construction in the heart of the Canal District in Worcester, Mass., is slated to open in the summer of 2017 and will host the Worcester State men’s hockey team, which will include all home games, practices, and a permanent locker room.
“I am excited to announce that Worcester State University will be joining us as an anchor tenant in 2017 with their men’s ice hockey team,” said Worcester Sports Center’s managing partner Cliff Rucker in a news release. “Partnering with Worcester State epitomizes our commitment that this is truly a Worcester community resource – built for the residents and student athletes of Worcester.”
Worcester State president Barry M. Maloney said that the new agreement is the latest of several investments the school has made in Worcester’s downtown.
“Worcester State’s investments in the City of Worcester benefit our students in a number of ways,” said Maloney in the news release. “This one provides us an exciting, local venue for our hockey players, one which will attract fans from our student body and beyond. Our investments in the Worcester Center for Crafts and the Hanover Theater provide arts opportunities for students, while our investment in the Idea Lab is seeding new student-run business ventures.”
The agreement will allow Worcester State University to play their home games locally in Worcester and will give the Lancers a permanent home throughout the season.
“The Lancers are thrilled to have a permanent home in our home city – Worcester,” added Worcester State director of athletics Michael Mudd. “The Worcester Sports Center will allow our student body to support their peers just a few miles from campus in downtown Worcester. This partnership will benefit our student-athletes, students and families with local consistent practice times and games – in addition to a permanent locker room to maintain their gear year round. We are also excited about some potential future recreational opportunities that might be available to our general student population at the Worcester Sports Center.”
Worcester State University now joins Becker College, Worcester Academy, Worcester Junior Sharks and Junior Crusaders as tenants at the Worcester Sports Center beginning in 2017.
