J. Howard Starr Rink
The J. Howard Starr Rink is located in the south wing of Reid Athletic Center and is the former home to the Colgate men’s and women’s ice hockey teams. The facility accommodated 2,000 spectators, with chair-back seating on the north side of the rink and bleacher seating on the south side. The entry area included an exhibit of Colgate ice hockey history and various displays of the teams’ and coaches’ proud achievements.
Starr Rink opened in 1959 and was dedicated Dec. 11 of that year to J. Howard Starr, hockey coach from 1932-50 and Professor of Physical Education Emeritus. The occasion was marked with a 3-2 win over in-state rival Cornell. This was Colgate’s first intercollegiate home game since 1951. There was no Colgate program from the fall of 1951 through the spring of 1957. Prior to Starr Rink, all home games were played outdoors.
During the 1997-98 season, women’s ice hockey was added to the varsity program. The first women's varsity home game was marked with a 3-2 win over Williams. The program moved to Division I during the 2001-02 season.
The final games in Starr Rink were played Feb. 26-27, 2016, for the men's team, which defeated RPI 2-0 and Union 2-1; and Feb. 26-28, 2016, for the women's team, which defeated Harvard in a best-of-3 ECAC tournament quarterfinal series. Those scores were 4-1 Colgate, 4-1 Harvard and 3-2 Colgate in overtime.
The building now serves as a basketball practice facility.
