The dream is to get closer to the world’s top universities. BUT Cavaliers Brno have had a strong start to the season and a historic visit to the USA

The BUT Cavaliers Brno hockey team entered the new season of the University Ice Hockey League in great style. A historically highest interest in joining the club, excellent results on the ice, a strong community in the stands, and an unforgettable trip to the USA – the year 2025 is so far marked by growth and ambition. The Cavs are not just a sports project – their aim is to show that studying at BUT can be successfully combined with top-level sport.

Record interest and a strong start to the season

This year, BUT Cavaliers Brno attracted a record 72 applicants for a place on the team. In the end, 25 players aged 18 to 26 were selected, representing almost all faculties of BUT. Many of them have experience from junior elite competitions, and some have also played in the US hockey system.

The start of the season went well for the Cavs – they won the first university derby of the season against Masaryk University and subsequently organized a successful charity game against the University of Defence. All proceeds from the event were donated in support of war veterans. About 1,000 students cheered in the stands, confirming that the club is building a strong fan base.

Historic visit to the USA – inspiration comes first

In October, representatives of BUT Cavaliers Brno travelled to the USA, where they faced university teams from the prestigious Ivy League. The program included five games in total, and VUT Cavaliers Brno were represented by coach Štěpán Koukal, player and FME student Richard Orsech, and general manager Daniel Jochman.

The delegation also included representatives of the Czech Olympic Committee, university leadership, partner companies, and Czech Television, which documented the trip. The team visited universities including Brown, Yale, Cornell, Skidmore, and Castleton.

In the USA, the Czech players faced university teams from the prestigious Ivy League. The program included a total of five games. | Author: Daniel Jochman Archive

The aim of the trip was not only to play matches, but also to establish international connections and explore the model of American collegiate sports. A number of roundtables, workshops, and job-shadowing sessions took place in university sports departments and NCAA teams.

“It was a great pleasure to represent BUT at such prestigious universities, where we could see firsthand the conditions and differences of collegiate sports in the USA compared to ours. The meetings were extremely beneficial for players, the coaching staff, and managers. Our ultimate goal is to move closer to the American model of collegiate sports – in terms of infrastructure, academic integration, and building pride in one’s university. And I must add that we owe the opportunity to operate and develop the club to the support of university leadership and especially the rector. Without his support, the club would never exist at BUT in this form,” says general manager Daniel Jochman.

According to him, the goal is to develop successful student-athletes who will succeed on the job market and potentially in top-level sport.

The Cavaliers players represent almost all faculties of BUT. | Author: University Hockey Showdown

Study and play: BUT students prove it’s possible

The Cavaliers are closely connected to the Study and Play project, which has been running at BUT for several years and is now launching its recruitment campaign. The campaign aims to attract talented athletes from secondary schools who want to develop their hockey careers while studying at university. It will gradually present the university, study programs, opportunities to balance sport and study, student life, dormitories, dining halls, and the city of Brno.

BUT ranks among the top universities in the league in terms of conditions for student-athletes – and the VUT Cavaliers Brno players are the best example.

Cyril Valach and Richard Orsech – stories that prove the system works

Both players have benefited from the Study and Play project and are now gaining awards and national team experience. Forward Cyril Valach, a first-year student of the English program Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development at the Faculty of Business and Management, was nominated for the prestigious junior Viking Cup tournament in Canada, where he will represent BUT and the Czech Republic in December. Richard Orsech, an FME student who took part in the USA trip, was listed among the alternates.

Hockey that helps. BUT and UNOB students played for war veterans. | Author: BUT Cavaliers Brno

Plans for the future

BUT Cavaliers Brno aim to continue developing not only their players, but the entire club, which provides students with professional experience in fields such as marketing, event management, PR, and the development of strategic corporate partnerships. This allows students outside the sport itself to participate in the club’s operations.

Home games are played regularly on Wednesdays at 19:00 in Kuřim. The club also provides bus transport for spectators. Thanks to a special mobile app, fans can vote for the player of the match, compete, and follow the team’s updates. New merchandise is also available for purchase at home games.

Upcoming matches
26 Nov – home game in Kuřim against BO Ostrava.
3 Dec – home game in Kuřim against traditional rival MUNI.
25 Feb – another Brno derby against MUNI at Winning Group Arena, followed by an afterparty.

The club is also considering the possibility of playing a university derby in the new ice arena at the Brno Exhibition Centre, currently planned for 2027.

The direction is clear

BUT Cavaliers Brno are not only building the reputation of a strong university team, but also setting a trend unprecedented in the Czech environment – offering students top-level technical education while providing conditions that allow them to develop a sports career at the same time.

The ambitions are high – and this season shows that the Cavs have everything needed to move closer to the American model of university sports. And perhaps one day compete with the very best.