ECHL Approves Tim Tebow-Owned Minor League Hockey Team in Lake Tahoe

Tim Tebow is coming to Lake Tahoe. 

The Heisman Trophy winner, ex-NFL quarterback and former minor league baseball player is the co-owner of a new ECHL expansion team set to start play at a brand new arena near Lake Tahoe.

The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor league hockey organization with teams affiliated with NHL franchises. David Hodges, a Florida-based real estate magnate, will co-own the team with Tebow. Their not-yet-named team will be the league’s 29th franchise and begin play during the 2024-25 season. 

“I love that sports can bring people together from all over to enjoy camaraderie, competition, and community impact,” Tebow, 35, said in a statement. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be part of a group bringing hockey to the Tahoe area for fans and families to create memories for years to come.”

Tebow, a Jacksonville area native, is already a minority owner of the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen and Savannah Ghost Pirates. In 2007, Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy while at the University of Florida. He won two national titles at Florida, was a first-round NFL pick for the Denver Broncos, and spent five seasons in the New York Mets minor league system before retiring from professional baseball in 2021. He's currently a college football analyst for ESPN's SEC Network.

Lake Tahoe’s hockey addition comes amid a surge in the region’s popularity, driving higher real estate prices and soaring rental prices. In 2021, the NHL held two outdoor games in Stateline, Nev., a town on the southeastern shore of Lake Tahoe. 

"The ECHL proudly welcomes the 29th Member Team to the League in the brand-new Tahoe Blue Event Center, expanding our geography in the western part of the continent, and creating natural rivalries for visiting fans with the Idaho Steelheads, Utah Grizzlies, and the entire Mountain Division," ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin said in a statement.