MSU officials are hopeful that planned renovations to Munn Ice Arena will eventually take place despite the funding goal for the project not being met thus far.
Munn Ice arena – the second-oldest Big Ten hockey venue behind Michigan’s Yost Ice Arena – has undergone many upgrades in recent years as part of a larger renovation project for the building announced back in 2014. These upgrades included: high-definition video boards, LED ribbon boards and increased chairback seating.
Deputy Athletic Director Greg Ianni believes these improvements have made the games more enjoyable for fans.
“We’ve done quite a bit in that building in the last five or six years to bring it up to speed,” Ianni said. “I think that everything we’ve done has been very much welcomed by the people who come and watch Spartan hockey.”
Since moving to Munn Ice Arena in 1974, the MSU Hockey team has hoisted a pair of championships and sold out 467 games; recording the regular-season home sellout streak of 323 games from 1985 to 2004.
The estimated $18-$20 million renovation project for Munn will include improvements to facilities, including the locker room, training room and weight room. The project will also entail the addition of coaches’ offices and meeting rooms, as well as an MSU hall of honor. With the renovations, MSU also hopes to encourage the building’s recreational use by the general public.
While these renovations to the arena are not yet underway due to not enough money being raised, Ianni believes progress has been made and men’s hockey head coach Danton Cole has played a huge role in funding efforts since his arrival at MSU.
“I think Coach Cole has been aggressively assisting our development staff and meeting with donors, so I’m optimistic that it won’t be too long and we’ll be moving forward with that project,” Ianni said.
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