5 things to know about local hockey league’s dispute with Orange County Sportsplex
Update: “Triangle ice rink reaches deal to keep Hillsborough Hogs youth hockey league going”
Recreation Factory Partners has managed day-to-day operations at Orange County’s publicly owned SportsPlex in Hillsborough since 2005. Last year, the county updated the company’s contract after complaints about rink access.
Rinks from Raleigh to Winston-Salem face a severe ice time shortage, SportsPlex General Manager Andrew Stock said. The SportsPlex can more efficiently serve children by registering players and scheduling ice time for the nonprofit Hillsborough Hogs, he said.
Triangle Youth Hockey of North Carolina started the team in 1980, and it was the first to play at the SportsPlex in 1995. It has offered to make changes to free up ice time, which the SportsPlex has rejected.
What could happen to the Hillsborough Hogs?
Parents, players and Triangle Youth Hockey of North Carolina officials have asked the county commissioners to help resolve the conflict. The county will talk about it this spring, Chair Jamezetta Bedford said.
The county can negotiate a deal, do nothing, or end Recreation Factory Partners’ contract with 120-days notice. If nothing changes, Triangle Youth Hockey President Tom Deis said the Hogs may not have a rink to play in next year.
Playing youth hockey at the SportsPlex
Both Triangle Youth Hockey and the SportsPlex offer clinics, classes and competitive teams:
Triangle Youth Hockey
▪ Serves: About 180 children
▪ Teams and cost: Hillsborough Hogs serves boys and girls, cost $770 to $1,280 per season (ages 9-12, 70-75 games and practices; ages 13-14, 60 games and practices; ages 15-18, 39-44 games and practices).
Mites are ages 8 and under and pay $500 per season (60 hours of Jamboree scrimmages and skill development practices and scrimmages)
Recreation Factory Partners
▪ Serves: 65 boys and girls in Carolina Thunder, 90 in Shamrocks spring skills and scrimmage program. 200 more kids could be served if the SportsPlex managed recreation hockey.
▪ Teams and cost: Carolina Thunder travel league serves ages 8-16 and provides about 95 practices and games. The cost for the 2023-24 season was $4,000 for ages 9-10; $4,200 for ages 11-12; and $4,400 for ages 13-14, according to an email provided to The News & Observer.
The cost for ages 15-16 was not provided. Program cost does not include travel or lodging for out-of-town games.
Carolina Thunder Mites, ages 8 and under, pay $1,600 for roughly 45 skills development practices and games. SportsPlex Shamrocks, ages 10 and under pay $302.50 for 11 sessions; ages 12 and up pay $742.50 for 27 sessions.
Who else uses the SportsPlex?
▪ Over 650,000 visits are recorded each year to the ice rink, aquatic center, fitness center, sports courts and turf, and other programs, according to a January 2024 report to Orange County.
▪ SportsPlex also provides ice time for UNC, Duke and Elon university teams, as well as Carolina Ice Synchro, Central Carolina Skating Club, and Triangle Adult Hockey League. Public skate times and classes held throughout the week.
How much money does the ice rink earn?
▪ The SportsPlex expects another record year in fiscal year 2023-24, reporting $3.7 million in revenues and $2.6 million in expenses from July to February. The ice rink alone generated roughly $1.5 million.
▪ Revenues were roughly $4.2 million in 2022-23, with $3 million in expenses. Surpluses are used to improve the facility, Stock said.
▪ Hockey used 48% of the ice time between September and February. The Hillsborough Hogs used 14% of that and generated 10% of ice rink revenues — over $166,000. The Hogs generated 2% of total SportsPlex revenues, compared with 5% for the Carolina Thunder.
History of the Hillsborough Hogs and the Sportsplex
▪ 1995: Orange County helped nonprofit Orange County Community Activity Corp. open the Triangle SportsPlex using $10.6 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds. The county paid $4 million over 10 years for operations. The Hillsborough Sharks moved to the SportsPlex.
▪ 1999: SportsPlex defaulted on its loans and was sold at auction.
▪ 2005: Orange County paid $5.6 million for the SportsPlex and hired Recreation Factory Partners to manage it.
▪ 2019: The Sharks became the Hillsborough Hogs.
▪ 2020-21: The Hogs’ lost 1.5 hours of practice time when Wake County rink limits increased demand at the SportsPlex, cutting into time allotted to other programs.
▪ 2022: The SportsPlex added the travel hockey team Carolina Stars.
▪ 2023: Orange County extended RFP’s contract to June 2025. The Stars moved to Wake County; replaced with Carolina Thunder.
▪ 2024: Hillsborough Hogs announced they could lose their home rink at the SportsPlex. Recreation Factory Partners said they just want to take over scheduling and registration. Management is now planning a new youth recreational hockey league and an all-girls hockey team.
NC Reality Check is an N&O series holding those in power accountable and shining a light on public issues that affect the Triangle or North Carolina. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email realitycheck@newsobserver.com
This story was originally published March 21, 2024 at 5:35 AM.
