Created in 2005, the Men’s Club hockey team at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee has maintained the chance for competitive players to showcase their skills by playing against other Schools throughout the country. The team is currently operating as an “independent” within the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), allowing them to play against any team in the United States. The ACHA is comprised of club teams from almost one hundred universities and colleges across the country and is the main governing body of college club hockey. Each year the ACHA holds a national tournament beginning with conference and then regional playoffs to ultimately determine the best collegiate club hockey program in the country. Previous champions have included Penn State University, The University of Illinois, and Oakland University.

The club hockey season begins in September with tryouts and ends in April with the National Tournament. The majority of the season is spent traveling across the United States each weekend as well as several regional and national tournaments. This Season the team will travel as far as Nebraska and Ohio.

The Need For a Sponsor

The extreme budget cuts that have been or are being enforced by the State of Wisconsin have almost completely wiped out the money available for student run organizations on most UW system campuses. The club team has relied on these funds in order to cover hotel, van rental, and tournament fee costs. Now, without these funds, the team is in dire need of outside sponsorship sources in order to remain competitive in the ACHA spectrum.
This year, tournament fees alone are starting at $400. If the club team is not able to come forward with this fee, we are not able to compete as much as needed and may even be forced to drop out of the ACHA due to lack of funds and inability to play.

The hotel and van rental costs vary depending on location and length of the trip, but in general totals for hotels are $400 per trip and vans are $350 per trip. With the majority of our schedule requiring us to travel out of state you can see how quickly these costs add up and how important outside sponsorship is to our organization.

What We Are Seeking From a Sponsor

The team is currently looking for sponsorship to help out with the remainder of this season and for all of next season. We would prefer a longer agreement with the sponsor due to budgeting for next season. We are seeking a reliable, established area company that we would like to be associated with and will offer us a great relationship with the Milwaukee area.

What the Sponsor Can Accomplish Through Us

What a sponsor can accomplish through its association with the club is the chance to increase its advertising opportunities to reach students from numerous universities across the Midwest and possibly the nation. The company’s name will be present at all tournaments and matches played across the country. In the event of teams traveling to Milwaukee, the sponsor’s presence will already be known. A sponsor will have the chance to have their logo on team uniforms, traveling banners, and a website advertisement and in home game programs.

Possible Sponsorship Items

A sponsor will be able to show their involvement in many ways:

1. Uniform Advertising
The sponsor will have their logo displayed on the uniform at all times.
Teams across the nation will associate you with the club team, the city and the university.

2. Signage
The sponsor will have the opportunity to have their logo on a large display banner that will accompany the club to tournaments, in the gym, and during matches. The banner may be displayed near the team bench and near the team equipment stash.

3. Website/Program Advertising
The sponsor will have their logo and information posted on our clubs nearly designed website and/or in programs handed out at home games. The website and programs are viewed by students at UWM as well as rival colleges across the nation, as well as by hockey fans and the hockey community.

Due to the timing of our need, sponsor logos will not be able to be placed on uniforms for this season. However, a commitment for next season will secure a spot for that option.

$500+ – Black Panther
Includes: Mention in home game programs, Link on website
$1500+ – White Panther
Includes: Mention in home game programs, link on website, Patronage
(if applicable), Panther hockey uniform in frame.
$2000 + – Gold Panther
Includes: Mention in home game programs, Link on website, Patronage (if applicable), Framed Panther hockey uniform, Logo on home and away uniforms

Contact Information

Officer Contact Information

Kyle Ratayczak
President/General Manager
Phone: Mobile– (414) 719-0403
Email: KVR@uwm.edu

Mailing Address:

Club Hockey at UWM
3041 N. Farwell Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53211