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OTHER "TRASHED" SPORTS PROGRAMS

Read the bold text below. It sounds like the same statement made by OU's AD. Is the same person writing talking points for all these AD's? Perhaps it's a consulting firm thrives as it helps universities reduce sports programs to make money available for "revenue" sports?

From www.lax.com -- http://www.lax.com/stories/1751

[Bold type emphasis, aside from paragraph headings, inserted by SaveOUSports.Org]

Butler Drops Lacrosse
by neil on January 26, 2007

In a decision with shocking timing, Butler has decided to axe their Division I Men's program. The school announced their 2007 schedule just two months ago, and the team has been practicing for the last two weeks.

Coach Stan Ross was still trying to digest the info when we spoke. Ross noted that Butler is a small Midwest school that carries twenty three sports, and so the administration opted to cut a sport entirely rather than peel away funds from all sports.

But Ross' concern wasn't for the program or himself, noting "It's the kids that I'm worried about, including all the recruits we have coming. I'll be alright. We've been practicing for two weeks and the semester has already started...it would be nearly impossible for the kids to transfer this semester."

The email from Butler AD Collier:

This afternoon I announced to the athletic department staff, that effective June 1, Butler will discontinue its intercollegiate men's swimming and lacrosse programs.
I came to this decision after months of analyzing our athletic programs. This comprehensive review uncovered the need to redirect resources within the program to ensure greater stability for our remaining 19 sports.
We will continue to honor the existing scholarship commitments of our lacrosse players.
These players will continue to be a part of our community here at Hinkle, and will continue to have access to the same services available to other varsity athletes, including academic services and athletic training.
However difficult this decision may have been, I believe it puts us in the best possible position to be successful in the future.

[Didn't the OU Athletic Director utter similar words? Right out of the same consultant's talking points? Look immediately below:]

"We've made an extremely difficult decision that will ultimately place us in the very best position to be successful in the future."

    -- Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt explaining the decision on January 25.

See similar words uttered by the AD at "OU ATHLETIC DIRECTOR EXPLAINS THE DECISION" on this site a little over half-way down in bold print.

From USCHO

February 8, 2007

Students, Advocates Urge Rutgers To Restore Funding For 6 Cut Teams

by Rasheeda Williams/Daily Targum/Rutgers

(U-WIRE) NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Although it has been several months since a number of the Rutgers University sports teams were cut, time has not healed the wounds for many.

On Tuesday, Lisa Pantel of the Coalition to Save Our Sports urged the Rutgers College Governing Association to pass a resolution to restore the six university athletic programs that were cut.

A frustrated and emotional Pantel stood before the group, insisting the athletics department has been unfair in the past and lacked basis for cutting the sports teams. Citing examples of academic excellence and high quality performance among the teams cut, she stated the university's decision was justified by "fallacies and misrepresentations."

Rutgers College junior Arjun Vaidya, who is also the captain of the men's tennis team, backed up Pantel's claims.

"The men's tennis team has a high GPA and won the Director's Awards for three of the past eight years," he said. "We reached the finals of the Big East. Our performance is good, both academically and athletically."

The Director's Award is awarded to the athletic team with the highest grade point average.

Although several members of RCGA appeared to support Pantel, her cause was met with some skepticism. She vehemently countered concerns that restoring the teams would take money away from other necessary things — including the availability of classes.

"It's not a matter of priority," she said. "We all want Rutgers to have its funding. These cuts have nothing to do with academic cuts."

She explained the university typically allots individual departments with their own operating budget. Last year, the athletic department allocated approximately $40 million. However, the total cost of the six teams that were cut was under $1 million, constituting less than 2 percent of the total athletics budget.

Livingston College sophomore Andre Watson, a member of the diving team, expressed his own frustrations toward the university.

"Basically, I think the school has a long history, and the team has been around for 91 years," he said. "By cutting the teams to save $800,000, it shows they value the money more than they value almost 100 years of history."

Rutgers College sophomore and RCGA representative Erik Straub presented his feelings of dissatisfaction toward the issue as well.

"I'm not part of one of the sports," he said. "But the fact is [RCGA] never had any part in this discussion whatsoever. This is an extreme example where students are being hurt, and they have no voice in the process."

Straub insisted with such a radical change to the structure of the athletic department, the student bodies should have been consulted.

"I think that the GAs should have much greater control over student fee money, and this is a perfect example of why," he said.

Pantel suggested $828,000 of student fees that were intended for non-revenue generating teams — including the teams that were cut — was awarded to basketball and football teams instead.

She also stated over $650,000 was raised for the purpose of restoring the teams, but when the funds were offered, the university did not respond.

From USCHO

Dec. 12, 2006

Rutgers Coalition Continues Fight For Cut Sports

by Michael Huang/Daily Targum/Rutgers

(U-WIRE) NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Rutgers' Department of Intercollegiate Athletics decided to phase out six Olympic team sports over the course of this academic year, but supporters of the teams are hoping a recent statement by a member of the Board of Governors will spark the University to look further into their restoration.

Supporters of the teams said that from a combination of the additional revenue brought in from the success of the football team, as well as outside fund raising, particularly from alumni, restoring the teams might be possible.

"It is no longer possible for the University to adhere to the position that it cannot afford these eliminated teams given the significant fund which the University is about to raise, and given the funds which these teams have already raised," said Lisa Pantel, a member of the Coalition to Save our Sports — a group dedicated to restoring the eliminated sports.

Board of Governors member George R. Zoffinger released a statement Dec. 7 urging other board members to reconsider the choices the department made earlier.

"As a member of the board, these pleas have resonated with me as a question of fairness and compassion for these talented student athletes," Zoffinger said in his statement. Zoffinger pointed out the success of the football team may have opened up new possibilities for the teams.

"As this discussion has occurred, we have also felt a renewed sense of pride because of the accomplishments of the football program," he said. "What cannot go unnoticed is the added revenue now available to the school because of that on-field success."

The success of the football program is, in fact, expected to generate more than $2 million in additional revenue, according to a statement prepared by the University. However, restoring the six eliminated teams may be harder than expected.

Currently, the University is one of the few that has a Division 1-A football program as well as 30 or more intercollegiate sports, according to the prepared statement. Should the changes continue as planned, and the six sports are phased out, the University will still have 24 intercollegiate sports, the same number offered at the University of Connecticut, which has an athletic budget that is more than $10 million larger than Rutgers' athletic budget, according to the prepared statement.

"The problem with that is football success is relative," said Al Gamper, chair of the Board of Governors. "Just because we have success from football it doesn't mean we can keep these sports alive," he said, adding that using the increased amount of football revenue to reinstate the cut sports would merely cause the football team to operate at a bigger loss.

Should the sports be phased out as planned, the crew teams, the men's swimming and diving team and the men's tennis team will continue at the University as club sports.

"Club status will not work," said Jeffrey C. Klepacki, the divisional sales manager of Allianz Global Investors and a Rutgers crew team alumnus. The Rutgers team is the only place in the state where crew members can compete at a D-1 school, Klepacki said Friday at the board's meeting.

"I can't believe [cutting the sports] was the best decision," Klepacki said. "Option one could have been share the cuts across the department and option two would have been to reach out to alumni. Option triple Z should have been to cut the teams."

Gamper said he was surprised at all the attention this decision has received.

"This whole subject matter amazes me that it would get so much publicity and notoriety," he said. Gamper said the population affected by these cuts is relatively small. The total student population on the New Brunswick, N.J., campus is approximately 30,000 as of fall 2005, and those affected by the six sport teams being cut amount to 115, according to a statement prepared by the University.

Klepacki believes the University is overlooking a valuable resource: The contributions of alumni.

"We have a University that says we haven't seen any money, and an Alumni board that says we haven't seen any commitment from the University," he said. "They're at a stalemate. We need to connect the two sides," he said.

But Gamper said he felt financial contributions from alumni to support the teams are something relatively recent.

"In the past they haven't contributed a lot of money," he said. "Only recently have they proposed giving more."

DROPPED TEAMS

2006 Women's Lacrosse Team

Women's Save Ohio Lacrosse Blog

LaxPower.com message board discussion on OU LAX

Women's Lacrosse web page at OU website

Swimming and Diving

Save Ohio Swimming and Diving

and

Save Ohio Swimming

Swimming and Diving web page at OU website

Save Ohio University Swimming Discussion Forum

Track and Field

Bringing Back Ohio Track Blog

Track and Field web page at OU website

YouTube video put together for the Track and Field Team

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OTHER "TRASHED" SPORTS PROGRAMS

More content to follow:

Read the bold text below. It sounds like the same statement made by OU's AD. Is the same person writing talking points for all these AD's? Perhaps it's a consulting firm thrives as it helps universities reduce sports programs to make money available for "revenue" sports?

From www.lax.com -- http://www.lax.com/stories/1751

[Bold type emphasis, aside from paragraph headings, inserted by SaveOUSports.Org]

Butler Drops Lacrosse by neil on January 26, 2007

This afternoon I announced to the athletic department staff, that effective June 1, Butler will discontinue its intercollegiate men's swimming and lacrosse programs.

I came to this decision after months of analyzing our athletic programs. This comprehensive review uncovered the need to redirect resources within the program to ensure greater stability for our remaining 19 sports.

We will continue to honor the existing scholarship commitments of our lacrosse players.

These players will continue to be a part of our community here at Hinkle, and will continue to have access to the same services available to other varsity athletes, including academic services and athletic training.

However difficult this decision may have been, I believe it puts us in the best possible position to be successful in the future.

[Didn't the OU Athletic Director utter similar words? Right out of the same consultant's talking points? Look immediately below:]

"We've made an extremely difficult decision that will ultimately place us in the very best position to be successful in the future."

-- Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt explaining the decision on January 25.

See similar words uttered by the AD at "OU ATHLETIC DIRECTOR EXPLAINS THE DECISION" on this site a little over half-way down in bold print.

February 8, 2007

Students, Advocates Urge Rutgers To Restore Funding For 6 Cut Teams

by Rasheeda Williams/Daily Targum/Rutgers

(U-WIRE) NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Although it has been several months since a number of the Rutgers University sports teams were cut, time has not healed the wounds for many.

On Tuesday, Lisa Pantel of the Coalition to Save Our Sports urged the Rutgers College Governing Association to pass a resolution to restore the six university athletic programs that were cut.

Rutgers College junior Arjun Vaidya, who is also the captain of the men's tennis team, backed up Pantel's claims.

"The men's tennis team has a high GPA and won the Director's Awards for three of the past eight years," he said. "We reached the finals of the Big East. Our performance is good, both academically and athletically."

The Director's Award is awarded to the athletic team with the highest grade point average.

Although several members of RCGA appeared to support Pantel, her cause was met with some skepticism. She vehemently countered concerns that restoring the teams would take money away from other necessary things — including the availability of classes.

"It's not a matter of priority," she said. "We all want Rutgers to have its funding. These cuts have nothing to do with academic cuts."

Livingston College sophomore Andre Watson, a member of the diving team, expressed his own frustrations toward the university.

"Basically, I think the school has a long history, and the team has been around for 91 years," he said. "By cutting the teams to save $800,000, it shows they value the money more than they value almost 100 years of history."

Rutgers College sophomore and RCGA representative Erik Straub presented his feelings of dissatisfaction toward the issue as well.

"I'm not part of one of the sports," he said. "But the fact is [RCGA] never had any part in this discussion whatsoever. This is an extreme example where students are being hurt, and they have no voice in the process."

Straub insisted with such a radical change to the structure of the athletic department, the student bodies should have been consulted.

"I think that the GAs should have much greater control over student fee money, and this is a perfect example of why," he said.

Pantel suggested $828,000 of student fees that were intended for non-revenue generating teams — including the teams that were cut — was awarded to basketball and football teams instead.

She also stated over $650,000 was raised for the purpose of restoring the teams, but when the funds were offered, the university did not respond.

Dec. 12, 2006

Rutgers Coalition Continues Fight For Cut Sports

by Michael Huang/Daily Targum/Rutgers

Supporters of the teams said that from a combination of the additional revenue brought in from the success of the football team, as well as outside fund raising, particularly from alumni, restoring the teams might be possible.

Board of Governors member George R. Zoffinger released a statement Dec. 7 urging other board members to reconsider the choices the department made earlier.

"As a member of the board, these pleas have resonated with me as a question of fairness and compassion for these talented student athletes," Zoffinger said in his statement. Zoffinger pointed out the success of the football team may have opened up new possibilities for the teams.

"As this discussion has occurred, we have also felt a renewed sense of pride because of the accomplishments of the football program," he said. "What cannot go unnoticed is the added revenue now available to the school because of that on-field success."

The success of the football program is, in fact, expected to generate more than $2 million in additional revenue, according to a statement prepared by the University. However, restoring the six eliminated teams may be harder than expected.

Should the sports be phased out as planned, the crew teams, the men's swimming and diving team and the men's tennis team will continue at the University as club sports.

"Club status will not work," said Jeffrey C. Klepacki, the divisional sales manager of Allianz Global Investors and a Rutgers crew team alumnus. The Rutgers team is the only place in the state where crew members can compete at a D-1 school, Klepacki said Friday at the board's meeting.

"I can't believe [cutting the sports] was the best decision," Klepacki said. "Option one could have been share the cuts across the department and option two would have been to reach out to alumni. Option triple Z should have been to cut the teams."

Gamper said he was surprised at all the attention this decision has received.

Klepacki believes the University is overlooking a valuable resource: The contributions of alumni.

"We have a University that says we haven't seen any money, and an Alumni board that says we haven't seen any commitment from the University," he said. "They're at a stalemate. We need to connect the two sides," he said.

But Gamper said he felt financial contributions from alumni to support the teams are something relatively recent.

"In the past they haven't contributed a lot of money," he said. "Only recently have they proposed giving more."

DROPPED TEAMS

2006 Women's Lacrosse Team

Swimming and Diving

and

Track and Field

Copyright 2007 - 2008 by SaveOUSports.org - Email: SaveOUSports AT gmail DOT com

SaveOUsports.org is a non-profit group devoted to action that will reinstate discontinued varsity sports at Ohio University.

Butler Drops Lacrosse
by neil on January 26, 2007