In October 2021, Augustana University announced that it will be home to the Viking Men’s Hockey program — set to take the ice in the fall of 2023. The public announcement came during a groundbreaking ceremony on AU’s campus for the program’s new Midco Arena. The hockey program, which will compete at the NCAA Division I level, will be the Vikings’ 23rd collegiate sport and first of its kind in South Dakota.
Amber (Olinger) ‘05 and Rory Kelly are generous supporters of the head coach’s office inside Midco Arena, which will be named after Janet Eining, founder of Cellular Only Connection Inc. and local entrepreneur — for whom Rory worked in college, and offered him the chance to own his own store.
“She is the reason I’m able to contribute to Augustana,” Rory said.
The Kellys own a Verizon wireless retailer in Sioux Falls called CellOnly. Rory serves on the board of the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House, development committee of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Dakota and finance council at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
Rory, who grew up watching Division I (DI) hockey in Denver, Colorado, is excited to give back to the sport he loves and his wife’s alma mater.
“I know this just from my experience watching DI hockey, but I love what this will do for our community,” Rory said. “The idea that a small private university can grow, and put Sioux Falls on the map in a cool way, has really driven my wife and I to want to give to the program.”
Rory said the hockey program will provide Sioux Falls with more than just an additional sport to watch.
“I think we’ll watch these kids get drafted for the first time and become young adults, and move back and raise families here because they'll realize as they play professional hockey and travel the United States that where they played in college is probably the best place they could ever raise a family,” Rory said. “It really gets me excited about what this means for the city of Sioux Falls and Augustana.”
For more information on how to contribute to the program, visit augielink.com/hockey.
Learn more about other Viking Men's Hockey and Midco Arena donors: