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 as part of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), will be the Vikings’ 23rd collegiate sport and first of its kind in South Dakota. The team will be led by Garrett Raboin, who was named the inaugural head coach in April 2022.
As founding partners of Viking Men’s Hockey, CorTrust Bank and the Hopkins family are generously supporting CorTrust Corner, the seating section in the southwest corner of Midco Arena. CorTrust Bank is a fourth-generation, family-owned community bank with locations throughout eastern South Dakota and Minnesota. Todd Hopkins is a senior vice president and member of the Board of Directors of CorTrust Bank and president of CorTrust Mortgage.
“This is going to be a huge deal not only for Augustana, but for the greater Sioux Falls area as well,” Hopkins said. “I think this is really going to help the growth of youth hockey in Sioux Falls and hopefully provide opportunities for local hockey players to play D1 hockey at some point. It would also be nice to have opportunities for hockey instructional camps for local hockey players in Sioux Falls and the surrounding areas.”
Hopkins has close ties to Augustana, making this partnership a special one. Hopkins’ mother, Dody (Martyn), graduated in 1972, and his daughter, Kailie, graduated in 2022. He also has hockey connections, as his son, Sean, has been involved in the sport since he was seven years old and plays at the junior varsity and varsity levels.
“We’ve traveled for hockey games all over South Dakota, Minnesota and North Dakota,” Hopkins said. “I love the camaraderie and that it's truly a team sport. The hockey community is a very tight-knit community, and we've met a lot of good friends being involved in hockey.”
Hopkins said that he and his family are excited to take in the first game of Augustana Hockey in Midco Arena.
“Being able to watch collegiate hockey at the highest level with some amazing athletes in Sioux Falls on a regular basis is going to be awesome,” Hopkins said.
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: