LINKS
PETITIONPlease sign our petition to save dropped OU sports. Click here. If your current circumstances or position with Ohio University do not require anonymity, we request that you sign with your name rather than as "Anonymous" as some have. Thank you and thanks to the Women's Lacrosse blog for setting up this petition.MORE LINKSBobcat Attack Message BoardOhio University Alumni AssociationOU Students have an active discussion going on in FaceBook.Com. Click here to go to FaceBook.Com and join in.OU Student Newspaper "The Post Online"www.EquityinAthletics.orgSave James Madison University Sports.orgTaking Inside Higher Ed to the MatEMAIL CONTACT FOR THIS SITE: SaveOUSports ATgmailDOTcom |
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE "BRING BACK OHIO UNIVERSITY SPORTS" ONLINE PETITIONPlease see the entire petition at this link.A note on the integrity of our petition:iPetitions.com screens out attempts to sign more than once by requiring signers to add their email addresses to the petition form. Attempts to sign are matched against the email addresses already input (the email addresses do not appear on the petition) and multiple attempts to sign using other names are prevented.Individuals could use more than one email address in an attempt to sign more than once but we believe those attempts are rare.A number of signers list themselves as "Anonymous." If you look just to the left in the green sidebar, you will see that we ask only those whose current circumstances or position with Ohio University do not require anonymity to sign with their real names.The number of anonymous signers leads us to believe that there is substantial support for our position within the OU faculty, other employees, and possibly the Athletic Department .The names of those who choose to use their names do appear on the petition.Thank you to all who have signed.Other PetitionsOther petitions to reinstate these sports gathered over 3,400 signatures. A written petition of 1,400+ signatures was submitted to the Board of Trustees. An online petition on FaceBook has reportedly accumulated over 2,000 signatures.[The Bold Type in the comments is used by SaveOUSports to emphasize some comments of the petition signers. The bolded comments were not added by us. The comments appear exactly as written in the petition - except for minor spelling and punctuation changes in some comments. This can be verified easily by going to the signer's petition number and reading the comments as they originally appear.]Signature 2602: Ohio University has not given adequate consideration to other alternatives. I will not donate one penny to this institution as long as these misguided attempts to comply with Title IX persist.Signature 2594: I was extremely disappointed to hear that Ohio University was cutting these sports. I run track as a senior in high school and I love and competing. I was considering running at OU until I learned that the team was cut. It is a crime that although track and field ranks as one of the most participated sports in the country, other sports are deemed as more important. This has made my college decision harder and I, along with countless other athletes, will not be able to continue to participate in a sport I love due to Title IX and lack of funding.Signature 2576: I refuse to believe that such a well-established and respected University would stoop so low as to cut their women's lacrosse program. That program was showing so much growth, in a couple of years that program could well have been a contender for the national championship. And all for a football program that no one hears or cares about. Some serious reconsideration is needed on the part of Ohio U.'s athletics program.Signature 2574: Too bad when these kids signed up for OU for their outstanding sports programs they weren't told the truth that some of these programs were in jeopardy. Sadly the kids are scrambling to find new schools, and some may not be able to continue their education for various reasons, whereas OU had met their needs be it financial, educational, or programs. Anyone checking the books to see why this is suddenly an issue? Very curious....Signature 2571: As a parent of a potential college athlete I am glad I have seen beforehand what the ethics of Ohio University are. It is clear you are not transparent nor are you looking at the best interest of these young adults. My children (5) will not be attending your university.Signature 2565: As a parent of an 11 year old son that has been swimming since he was 7 and all his plans for his future are to swim in college; it is extremely upsetting to think that by the time he actually gets to college there may not be men's swimming programs for him to swim for. I had to explain to my son that Ohio University cut their men's swimming team and he just couldn't get understand why football and basketball get all the benefits of the university system but not swimming. I would like to see the Athletic Director and college President held up to extreme scrutiny in this situation. The entire process was so underhanded. What are we teaching kids in college these days? Have we forgot about ethics? Or do we only teach ethics in the classroom only and then on the campus they are taught by the administration an entirely new set of rules! Reinstate the sports and fire the athletic director!! For the cost of his salary and benefits you have all the money you need to support these sports!Signature 2560: I was shocked to learn that Ohio U. dropped these sports programs. As a former track and cross country runner at the university, I feel particularly disappointed. I have given to various alumni and sports fund raiser drives in the past but will cease to do so.
Signature 2556: "I'm a high school student athlete writing a research argument report, I chose my topic to be Title IX, and after much research I fell upon your website. And after reading your problem and what other schools have done with similar problems, I feel that there are many different ways for your school to comply with Title IX versus canceling a few of your sports. I know my say isn't much, but if your school board would take a serious look at other options, that it could find a fairly reasonable resolution."[A comment from our petition from Tyler, a high school student athlete doing a paper on Title IX. If he can find an alternative solution to cutting sports, why can't OU's Athletic Department?][Tyler - As a potential collegiate athlete, your say is important. We sincerely appreciate your interest. Thank you for your encouraging words.][We would like to see your paper when it is finished if you are willing to share it with us. Please email it to us at SaveOUSportsATgmail.com. Please replace the AT in the email address with @ when you email.][ We hope you get an "A+" on the paper.]
Signature 2550: Does anyone really believe University President Roderick McDavis and his hatchetman Athletic Mis-director Kirby Hocutt when they claim cutting these programs will make up a $4 million deficit (while they build a $20 million indoor football facility)? I am very discouraged by their deceitful action and lack of integrity. As a member of the men's varsity swim team ('81 - '84) and Varsity O Club, I refuse to donate another cent (and any matching gift from my company) ever again if these two charlatans continue with this despicable decision.Signature 2545: Removing sports such as men's swimming will detract from many prospective candidates.... I wanted my (3) kids to go to OU for swimming, where will I send them?Signature 2522: GO BOBCATS!!!! Go Women's Lacrosse!!!! You got all girls from Miami (Fla.) cheering for you girls!Signature 2513: We visited Athens recently and found many faculty and alums shaking their heads at the stupidity of this recent actionSignature 2494: I am a swimmer and cannot imagine a University without a swim team - especially the size of OU and the quality of swimmers here. Track and Lacrosse are also sports without excessive "brawn" and add to the positive culture of an educational institution.Signature 2482: I don't know how you can justify spending $20m on one sport while cutting the other sports. I am sure the other sports bring in a great deal of tuition monies since their scholarships are not as generous as the football program. You need to consider the message you are sending out to your students as well as potential students. This obsession with football as the savior of colleges is sickening.Signature 2478: As a alumni I am very disappointed in OU swimming being canceled. My son was accepted to OU and was to swim for fall 2007. He will now go to the University of Rhode Island, along with my yearly contributions. If OU changed there decision he would still attend OU.Signature 2460: As a freshman parent of lacrosse, eliminating 4 of OU sports and affecting the lives of these students was totally unnecessary and disrespectful. The $4 million deficit was never mentioned when these students were recruited, and to let your coaches continue to recruit was so very wrong. It is not easy to make a 4 year commitment to a college and the decision you made didn't keep the students of OU at heart. SHAME on all involved making such a terrible, hurtful decision.Signature 2440: My daughter is on the women's swimming team. A major reason she signed with OU is because they had a co-ed swim program. She is very upset with the school's bad decision to cut sports. She had friends on those teams.Signature 2427: I was on the UC Irvine track team in 1991 when they cut the team, it was reinstated the next year. GOOD LUCK!Signature 2433: Please reconsider reinstating the sports you are considering cutting. I was a varsity swimmer during my undergraduate years. The prospect of training and competing in college was integral to my staying in college and completing my degree.Having both a degree and varsity experience made me more marketable as I entered the business world. I made many friends and had many broadening experiences as a college athlete, and traveled a great deal as a result. Athletic activities such as swimming, track, lacrosse, et. al., are instrumental in fostering healthy, constructive lifestyles for undergraduate students as they bridge the life experience from a structured home environment in high school to that of independent living.Today, as a 50 year old, I enjoy good health. As a productive employee in a small, privately held finance company, my health habits are instrumental in holding down the cost of insurance for my firm (as you may well know, the cost of insurance has spiraled out of control in recent years). As stated before, my college athletic experience was instrumental in forming not only good exercise habits, but good daily habits as well.Cutting athletic programs will decrease the opportunity for students to maintain and develop the critical good habits that will help them transition into independent living and ultimately reduce the exponentially growing cost of health care. Please do not cut these programs.Signature 2411: While I'm no big spender when it comes to donating to OU, I have contributed more than spare change. From now on, I'll answer every phone call with, "Call me once you've brought back the men's track program... and not until."Signature 2398: College sports and sports in general are one of the best experiences we can offer children as they grow up. Athletics provides learning experiences that help students to grow as adults and become strong leaders. Participation on a college athletic team is a characteristic often recognized by many employers.As proof of this statement look to the Ford administration. When Ford was in office he looked for two qualities in people he hired on his staff: did they serve in the military and did they participate in college sports. To take away these teams from your university is to deprive some of your students of a valuable learning experience. Is it really worth the sacrifice just to save a couple of dollars?Signature 2392: Athletic programs such as football shouldn't receive such an abundance of funding when other programs are being eliminated--especially, when football and basketball players often don't complete their educations, lured by the possibilities of big contracts with the NFL and NBA.Signature 2382: Ohio U. MSPE '93 and a graduate assistant coach for Elmore Banton. Ohio will never see another dime from me as long as this decision stands.Signature 2376: The only thing that most University decision makers pay attention to is money. There is an extensive list with email addresses of many swimming alums. A scholarship fund must be built with a special clause that it will be sent to another Mid American school with a swimming program should the OU swimming program be cut. I pledge $100.00 to this fund.PS: this is not a loss to title IX - it is a loss to the holy grail - football.Signature 2363: I coached track and XC at EMU for 34 years and am now retired. Stan Huntsman and Elmore Banton are good friends. It is ridiculous what has happened in the MAC.Basically, the MAC championship for men has been ruined by the unconscionable actions of some short-sighted administrators at the various schools who don't know what they have done and don't care. The MAC swimming championship is now down to 4 teams, which is one below the limit and track indoors will be only one above that (outdoors 2 over). Could Buffalo be next? It is copy cat, monkey see, monkey do syndrome.They are losing money. Walk-on revenue could be huge, as is minority enrollment. A FB player, Scott Mayle, who would might not have been at OU except for track, is one of the best long jumpers in the country and scored a long TD run vs EMU last fall.The problem is overspending in FB and it is getting worse. The MAC was in four flunky bowl games last fall, three of which were mostly paid for by themselves. EMU was 1-11 in FB and lost to OU by 8 pts, to WMU by 3, and to CMU in OT and all of them made bowl games. How good could they be, if they won close games over a 1-11 team?OU has great track tradition. Elmore Banton was a long-time coach (and a minority) and also was NCAA XC champion in 1964. Stan Huntsman left OU to win NCAA titles at Tenn. and Texas and was also US Head Olympic Coach.They are ignoring such revered men as these. Hocutt and McDavis are making a big mistake and ought to be ashamed of themselves for dropping track and swimming at OU and also for being the final nail in the coffin for MAC men's' swimming and the next to the last one for MAC men's' track and field.Signature 2362: As a former OU swimmer, I strongly object to the elimination of the OU Swimming Teams for reasons to numerous to list here. I believe fiscal mismanagement has played a role here and other options need to be found to preserve the rich tradition and potential of OU Swim Teams.Signature 2365: Unbelievable to even consider cutting such a classic sport as diving & swimming. Such a valuable program to the students and athletes, its a shame they are doing this and it should be stopped. The diving and swimming alumni alone could fund that program with a few charity events and calls for donations. LOST A LOT OF RESPECT for an A.D. who could not even give forewarning of a financial crisis with a call to raise funds. B.A. 1993, "HBC" Diver 1989.Signature 2312: Cutting sports is not the way to comply with Title IX laws! Blindsiding students who have committed themselves to the university both academically and athletically is morally wrong!Signature 2295: Kirby Hocutt [Athletic Director], you just couldn't understand or appreciate the sport of lacrosse. OU put more effort and research into restarting the sport in 1999 than you did in terminating it.The former athletics staff recruited some outstanding players that led the NCAA stats, built a class lax field, and was a founding member of the most competitive lax conference in the country -- with OU's own Peggy Pruitt as the commissioner of the ALC [American Lacrosse Conference, the conference to which OU Lacrosse belongs(ed)].OU was joined in the ALC by Ohio's other, better known sports school in Columbus, and Johns Hopkins, as well as other lax schools that also play football -- Penn State, Vanderbilt, Northwestern (NCAA lax champ last 2 years), and newest member University of Florida.Perhaps OU's spot can be taken by the newest lax school, South Carolina?Kirby, how does it feel to be on the other end of a trend? You've just discarded a lot of positive momentum, awareness and goodwill, but then you will most likely move on in a few years anyway.Signature 2230: We are shocked and saddened at the decision of OU administrators to cut track and field. As proud OU grads of the class of 78, we are disturbed by this trend. Sadly, we will rethink our annual giving to OU.Signature 2144: As a former D1 college swimmer, I think that the cutting of the sports programs is a travesty, especially if the funding to support these programs is clearly available and being earmarked for football--a sport with limited opportunity for most people.Signature 2135: I do not think the university looked at ways to solve the problem of deficit spending and Title IX. I believe that they took the easy way out of the situation.This signer identifies himself as the retired, long-time Ohio University track and cross-country coach who also won the NCAA cross-country title as a Bobcat in 1964. See this individual's more extensive response to OU's misguided decision at this link.Signature 2103: As no notice was given to the players this year, it seems ridiculous & unethical to cancel! There must be some other alternative. The University &/or Athletic Dept. must have known that this could happen, as budgets are typically done way in advance.Signature 2103: To suddenly stop the sport, when you made commitments to your players, is wrong. Students enrolled in your school to play these sports. If you are going to stop certain sports, do it 4 years in the future so you are not putting these kids lives in turmoil. That's who my heart goes out to. I know a Freshman Lacrosse player who wants to play so badly that she is looking to transfer to other schools. That is disruptive and unfair. Nobody ever said that there was a possibility the Lacrosse team could be terminated. Please re-consider your decision to terminate the programs.Signature 2100: My daughter was a 2007 recruit and her choice came down to OU and another school. Her decision was a difficult one but she chose the other school. The reason she had such a hard time deciding was because of Allison and the girls. Allison [Lacrosse Coach] is not only a great coach but also an outstanding person. Allison’s first priority seemed to always be her players. During the two visits my daughter took to OU, the girls could not have made her feel more at home. I wish all the best of luck to both Allison and the girls.Signature 2091: All athletes should have the opportunity to participate in their designated sport in college. As a parent of a son that is a high school football player and a daughter that is a swimmer, I have repeatedly seen the amount of discipline and dedication that is needed for both of them to succeed in their sport as well as in academics. This discipline will last for the rest of their lives as they pursue their careers or humanitarian efforts after college.Although the football program may generate more revenue and recognition for your school, I have seen many more fine examples of genuine student athletes in swimming than I have seen in the football world. I urge you to reconsider this decision based solely on money and to look at the total picture of what these other sports can generate - successful human beings that we can proud of in our future.Signature 2032: 72 years of Ohio Men's Swimming and Diving - history, tradition, excellence and diversity. A well run economical sport - keep the swimmers swimming and the divers diving!Signature 1978: We Must Continue The Fight, Or We Will Continue to Lose More Teams. We Are Witnessing a Sports Tragedy.Signature 1963: "Another sad day for athletics. When will AD's understand that athletic programs should be built around providing character building opportunities for young men and women and not about irresponsibly dumping all of our money into the football abyss?Athletics should supplement academics, not the other way around. 10 years from now OU and the other MAC schools will be without its diverse, hardworking, example setting student athlete body yet still dealing with all of this disappearing money. Meanwhile, Joe Football will be working on his 1.1 GPA in order to keep his 4th string punter scholarship."Signature 1954: I was very upset to learn of the loss of men's swimming and diving at OU. I have a sophomore son who was strongly looking at attending OU in the fall of 2009. Because swimming is such a large part of his life he will not even consider OU now.I feel the loss of swimming, diving, lacrosse & track would be a great loss not just for OU but Ohio state universities as a whole. Somewhere OU needs to change it's reputation as "Ohio's Party School" and actions such as the cutting of sports that reach so many students is not the way to change that image.Signature 1951: OUR ATHLETES CHOSE OU TO PURSUE THEIR DREAM of playing at a D1 level. Not because they did not have other D1 options, but because they believed in their heart that OU would be the perfect home not only Athletically, but Scholastically as well. To have a dream that you've worked so hard to achieve be shattered without warning is devastating. Women's Lax - I am proud of each of you for your hard work and dedication to your team. And to all Athletes involved in this horrendous decision - I wish you all the best!Signature 1944: As a high school swim coach and an OU alumnus I would ask you to seriously rethink about what you have decided to do. The chance to compete at the collegiate level is a precious thing, and someone who can represent the University in a way only swimmers can is something that should not be thrown away. You need to consider how many dollars are going to be saved versus how many future dollars are going to be lost.Signature 1932: The comparisons of Ohio U athletics to other MAC schools and other division I programs should not carry weight. If we offer more programs, that should be a positive that helps set us apart.It seems the directors want to instead offer fewer programs, and spend more money on top notch facilities and amenities.Students go to Stanford for that; students go to OU to compete.I was a walk on swimmer, and feel that opportunity should not be lost at OU for all the sports slated to be eliminated. I think I speak for most current and future athletes that would rather stay at discount hotels and eat McDonalds in order to be able to just compete on the college level. Let's keep that option available at OU.Signature 1923: If Swimming & Diving are cut I will NEVER contribute to any OU requests for contributions. Since retiring from the USAF, I've been coaching high school diving for 8 years thanks to the knowledge provider through the great tradition of Bob Cat Swimming & Diving.Signature 1880: I am a former OU Alum and believe that minor sports add a very important quality of program diversity at an institution like Ohio University. Even when talking with my Ivy League friends, I am always very proud to tell people where I went for my undergraduate degree. I have always felt that Ohio University had limitless opportunities for activities and social settings. Today, I am not as proud of Ohio University because of the plans to drop Ohio University Men's Swimming & Diving and the other minor sports programs.I swam for OU from 1998 to 2001. I believe that having the swim team not only benefited the members of the team, but I believe that the swim team improved the branding of Ohio University as a "full service" educational institution. A public institution, like Ohio University, is valuable to many students for many different reasons. However, one of the most valuable offerings that a public institution has is its Varsity sports programs; most especially because they are Division I Varsity Sports programs.Ohio University's variety of Division I Varsity Sports programs differentiates Ohio University from many other quality institutions. Each year that Ohio University has dropped a minor sports programs, it has depleted some of University's most important intrinsic value -- Division I Varsity Athletics.Most educational policy theorists will agree that diversity is valuable to any cutting edge educational institution. Moreover, it is the variety of programs that attracts the diversity of students. Therefore, all students benefit from having a variety of programs available, regardless of their own participation. An institution is only as effective as the programs it offers.Signature 1853: A member of the Swim team in the late 1940's and early 1950's I participated in the dedication of the natatorium as a member of the diving Team. I was also a member of the outdoor track team 1947-51. I was also a halfback on the 1947-48 football team.Signature 1844: Title IX was never intended to be a club to bash men's sports. It was intended to promote enhancements and opportunities for women. Do the right thing - find a way to promote women's sports without eliminating opportunities for men.Signature 1822: I'm surprised that a university of this caliber would even consider eliminating an activity that benefits the physical and mental health of these athletes. Having participated in college and semi-pro athletics has prepared me for life in so many ways and will always have a positive impact in the various challenges that I now see in my professional career. You are taking away activities that develop discipline, integrity, dedication, competitive spirit, and memories that last a life time.Signature 1823: I'm surprised that a university of this caliber would even consider eliminating an activity that benefits the physical and mental health of these athletes. Having participated in college and semi-pro athletics has prepared me for life in so many ways and will always have a positive impact in the various challenges that I now see in my professional career. You are taking away activities that develop discipline, integrity, dedication, competitive spirit, and memories that last a life time.Signature 1795: Swam 1990-93. After years of building my own Swim coaching business here in the UK I was finally able to offer something back to OU. Along with the OU coaching staff we have organised two internships to London. Would hate to see this stop so abruptly.Signature 1758: I'm a 1958 graduate from the OU School of Business. I was also on the OU Swim team in 1954-55 and 1955-56. My meets, and the practices, were in the old, old natatorium. And there OU is with a lovely new pool house to be used for anything but swim competition. What a waste.Signature 1739: As a 2000 graduate at OU I cannot tell you how devastated I am to hear about these sports cuts. I had friends on all of these teams and was proud and enjoyed every minute I spent at these matches and meets. I felt great pride in seeing our football team reach a bowl game this year, but I also felt the same pride when I would attend the swim meets of my friends.Watching my friends win the MAC championship was one of my best memories at OU. Although the women's swim team has not yet been cut for funding, I fear the impact they will undoubtedly feel with the loss of the men's swimming and diving teams. You might as well take away the future teams chances for winning any championships as I can not imagine how recruiting will ever be the same.Although I normally smile with pride when I think of OU, I have to admit lately I have spent more time shaking my head in disbelief. Ohio University is not a football school, nor is it s Men's Swimming School. It is a school for both. Unfortunately for us however, it appears the current administration is trying to make it something that it shouldn't want to be. Sigh. Sad day for the Bobcats.Signature 1728: I am an alumni of the Men's Swimming and Diving team and I cannot believe the way the school has handled this. I hope all the teams are reinstated. They should take some money from the Football Team. The football team has people on full ride that will never play a single game.Signature 1697: As a former swimmer (women's program) for the university I am deeply saddened to hear the men's program will be cut. I loved the guys that I swam with couldn't imagine my experience without them, they actually made me a better swimmer. I have also decided to no longer use my credit card that donates money to the university, something small, but maybe it will open a few eyes! Good Luck!Signature 1682: For four years I helped to coach the OU Men's Swim Team with Fletcher Gilders, 1978-82. We were always pinching pennies and under-funded. But, we were strong, spirited, successful and did plenty for the people in the program as well as the greater community of Athens -- as well as the institution.We'd recruit 30 about kids to campus each year, and many wouldn't even choose to swim. But the team was a gang-plank to Ohio U for many others -- beyond the one's on the team. Cutting the program is very short sighted. Have the other women sports each pick up another five athletes onto their roosters each year and you'd make the gender equity goals. Add women's water polo too. Equality through subtraction is not fair -- and it's stupid.Signature 1677: I am extremely disappointed at this administrations decision. Without a change of the current plan, I can promise the administration I will not make a single dollar donation to Ohio University ever again. I will also work proactively to make sure other donors find better run organizations to give money to.Signature 1671: The OU Men's Swimming and Diving team is legendary. Their many successes are a great source of pride among alumni. I am an alumnus of the OU Women's Swim team (1975-77). Please do not cancel the Men's program. It would be a great loss to our University.Signature 1653: Men's Swimming, Diving and Track & Field have a great history of achievement at OU with several All Americans and many Olympic Trails qualifiers and at least one Olympic Gold winner in Les Carney. They also produced a coach in Stan Huntsman that coached at least to Olympic Teams. These two sports teams are part OU's tradition and should not be eliminated.Signature 1644: It a shame that the school cuts 4 sports under the banner of meeting Title IX requirements and balancing the budget when the saving s will be $265,000 and football lost $1.9 million. The numbers don't add up! Your alumni and current students deserve an honest answer and not some public relations spin.Signature 1629: Berea Swim Coach and President of OHSAA Swim Coaches. You are doing a tremendous disservice to athletes and our sport by following through with this. With the increasing costs of education, this should truly not be an issue. This is not what Title 9 meant to do.Signature 1610: As a high school head track coach and Dean of Students who has sent several athletes to OU to compete in track and Cross Country - I am deeply disappointed in their decision. It needs to be reversed. I would not recommend OU to any student I have contact with.Signature 1547: As an alum, former varsity lacrosse player and mother of a senior at Ohio University, I am very disappointed in the cutting of the sports: women's lacrosse, men's swimming and diving and men's indoor/outdoor track. O.U. needs to rethink what is important. My further donations as an alum will be stopped until these sports are reinstated.Signature 1539: I find that swimming is one of the greatest team sports for athletes. It provides such great teamwork ,self-confidence and discipline which is needed greatly in life for every child. I was involved as a Mother for year's with my son who is a high school chemistry teacher. He swam since he was 10 years old and couldn't be a football player, but excelled in swimming.He swam in high school and college and is now the swim coach at Ohio's largest high school (Mentor) and they have a winning team most every year. He passes on the great things he has learned to all the other kids. It is my observation and many others that most of these swimmers do not get into a lot of trouble as teenagers.Signature 1523: Very poor judgment by leadership of OU to cut so many athletic teams in mid-year with minimal discussion concerning optional plans. I can only hope that negative public opinion, possibly circulated through the national media, will bring sufficient emphasis to cause OU leaders to review and amend this poorly executed decision.Signature 1454: To Whom It May Concern: For people who swim or who ever have swum, swimming quickly encompasses one's life. It becomes more than a sport, but a way of life. I know from experience, as I swam competitively for over 12 years and have been coaching for the past 7 years, 2 of which I did while still a swimmer myself.Now, I am a high school coach, preparing these athletes to possible continue swimming in college and throughout their lives. To take away this opportunity, and not considering other alternatives before dissolving other options, is taking away the future of many, MANY young adults. Please do not take this request, or any other for that matter, lightly. Please reconsider eliminating men’s swimming at Ohio University. Your children and mine will thank you for it. Swimcerely, Angela M. HartingSignature 1432: The prestige and reputation of this university are at stake. Apparently unilateral decisions such as this that haven't gone through the proper procedure/channels and deep thought processes could have a very negative affect on this institution. MANY are watching this unfold with great concern - Let's reverse this and do the right thing.Signature 1388: As a 2005 graduate of Ohio University and varsity track athlete, I am outraged and disgusted with President McDavis and Athletic Director Hocutt due to the recent decision to cancel Men’s Lacrosse, Men’s Swimming and Diving and Men’s Track and Field. This decision is not only failing to support current student athletes in their pursuit of excellence, but it is also betraying the thousands of alumni who are a part of the rich athletic history that has helped make Ohio University what it is today.The betrayal of this decision cuts even deeper; not only did McDavis and Hocutt both vow to support varsity athletics at OU, but they vowed to “build on tradition” and to make a “commitment to excellence.”This quote comes directly from President McDavis’ inauguration address: “If our goal is to become a nationally prominent research university, then we need to leave no stone unturned in our effort to capture the attention and imagination of our audiences. So, we will work to gain more positive recognition of our athletic programs as a strategy to increase the national visibility of our University. Ohio University athletics has a strong and proud tradition. When we build on that tradition, the entire university benefits. Thus, we intend to elevate the stature of our athletic programs and our student-athletes.”This quote was released on the University’s website as a description of Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt: "Kirby has the highest professional and personal qualities and possesses the commitment to excellence that is necessary to ensure our athletics program reflects the quality of the university as a whole. Ohio University remains committed to academic and athletic excellence."President McDavis was a “walk-on” track athlete his freshman year at OU and Athletic Director Hocutt was a student athlete at Kansas State. These two men have chosen to turn their back on the importance of Ohio University athletics; it is evident that their mission as individuals is weak and undermined. In an effort to save a few bucks, both McDavis and Hocutt have betrayed their responsibility to the university and their mission to support all athletic programs equally; the students will suffer at the hands of this decision and so will the reputation of the institution.This is a terrible decision for the university; with three major athletic programs being cancelled, it is obvious that the overall quality of the university is declining and that the strong and proud traditions are being forgotten.Signature 1368: Lacrosse has been a big part of my own and my children's lives. In fact, a current OU player was awarded a memorial scholarship in honor of my eldest son, an avid lax player. If OU's mission is to prepare young men and women for leadership roles in the adult world, the athletic department should be looking for ways to get MORE students involved in athletics, not eliminating some of the programs that already exist.Signature 1338: As an alumni, I have seen first hand how much the Men's Swimming community adds to the overall campus community. If Men's Swimming and other sports like it are cut, OU will be lose a part of what makes it a great college.As a High School coach, college sports are the standard to which age-group athletes strive. By removing OU Men's Swimming, I fear our college will be contributing to a current trend of decline in participation by our young athletes and make it more difficult to strengthen competitive sports in our local arenas.I feel it is in OU's direct interest and in Ohio children's best interest to continue to fund a diverse sport community.Signature 1325: As a former OU lacrosse player it rips me apart of even the thought of not having a lacrosse program at Ohio. We played some of the best teams in the nation. Not only were they well recognized Universities, but we were also spreading OU's name across the nation. Alum '06Signature 1320: I try to recruit students to OU whenever possible. Cutting sports does not further the draw of OU. Athens is not that much of a happening town and gets far too much attention as a party school. There wasn't much to do in '71 when I graduated, and wasn't in "02 when my daughter graduated. Please reconsider removing wholesome student activities from the agenda.Signature 1307: As a Past President of both the Ohio and National High School Swimming Coaches Associations I strongly oppose this decision. We need more sports like swimming to give our young athletes outlets for their skills and abilities and to teach them the spirit of hard work, sportsmanship and the importance of TEAM!Cut your Football and Basketball budgets a little and keep swimming ALIVE! Yes I realize that these sports fund most others but a few less scholarships and a couple of extra coaches/administrators won't affect the income! Keep a full array of sports for both men and women! Ken Gipe - Port Clinton, OhioSignature 1228: It’s inconceivable to me that a Director of Athletics wouldn’t be fighting tooth and nail to save these programs rather than making statements like “(O.U… is) not providing our student-athletes with the high-quality experience that is expected at Ohio University”. What does that mean? Clearly Mr. Hocutt is out of touch with the student-athletes he supposedly represents.I can’t imagine that so many of these kids are fighting to save programs in which they are having sub-par experiences. My guess is that most of these kids are top performers in the classroom as well as on the athletic field. And my guess is that most of these kids are also some of the most successful graduates after they leave O.U.My experience as a Trustee at a small liberal arts college is that athletes are some of the most generous alumni when it comes to giving back to their institutions. Is this really the group you want to alienate? Are the experiences the student-athletes playing these sports any less valuable that those of kids playing other sports?After reading several of the articles relating to the program cuts I can’t help but wonder whether any of the administrators making the decisions on these cuts ever played sports. If they had I’m sure that they would have at least talked to the student-athletes and tried to come up with a solution. It doesn’t sound like any effort was made at all.Shame on the Administration and the Athletic Director. You are clearly giving your institution a black eye. Kids, keep fighting for your programs. I guess I don’t have to tell you that, you’re student-athletes. Whatever happens, you can be proud of yourselvesSignature 1185: In a court of law the offender is the one that gets punished. How can you punish the innocent ones without even a hearing. That's essentially what the administration has done. 4 million in debt ? Punish the offenders. Don't state collateral damage and get rid of the Teams that did not cause this. That's the proverbial cop out!As a past OU Athlete and Alum, I'm ashamed of the administration. Take a pay cut! You're only looking to have this decision bite you in the butt in the future.Bring back NOW! the sports you have potentially cut. Remember, with an action, there is a reaction & a consequence. Don't be sorry. Support Women's Lacrosse, Men's Swimming & Diving, and Indoor & Outdoor track.Signature 996:Because the elimination of teams diminishes opportunities for students who are interested in participating in athletics instead of enhancing opportunities for students who have suffered from discrimination, it is contrary to the spirit of Title IX for the government to require or encourage an institution to eliminate athletic teams."The mantra from the administration is that they have no choice but to cut the teams in order to be in compliance with Title IX when OU is evaluated next year. It's not obvious that this is the only viable alternative, or that OU is so far out of compliance that sanctions are a real risk.Signature 974: Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing women's sports. The interest, especially in the Midwest, is growing faster than ever. We need as many girls programs as we can get.Signature 939: I believe any needed reductions should be made more proportionately across the board. If the football team is staying in hotels before home games, this waste needs to be stopped. At minimum outdoor track & field should be reinstated. It not only has a very long history at OU, it is the base sport of the original Olympics. The reality is that it cannot be a large cost sport with it sharing facilities and coaches with the ladies.Signature 906: Myles Brand, the President of the NCAA, said recently. ‘I certainly hope no University cuts sports to comply with Title IX. There are always alternatives. The NCAA is always ready and able to work with an athletics department to identify acceptable alternatives to cutting sports. It should not be the case that men's participation opportunities are diminished to comply with Title IX."'Signature 892: As a former bobcat track athlete and coach (graduate assistant) I am appalled by the decision to drop a program as storied as OU's. It is a shameful attempt to claim Title IX as the reason when it is painfully clear you are just trying to put more money in to the money-hog that is OU football...a sport which could NEVER be a revenue sport in a place like Athens.Signature 883: It is unfortunate that Ohio University has addressed the problems in their athletic department in the manner in which they have. After reading Robert Walter’s comments (see petition signature No. 177), which appear to be very well presented with significant support, one can only come to the conclusion that smaller sports, which have little leverage in an athletic department, become the victims of mismanaged athletic budgets.Without a doubt, Robert Walter set forth numerous arguments, all very valid, which would allow the continuation of the sports being cut. The reality, in today’s athletic departments, is that significant amounts of money are channeled to the supposed revenue sports at the expense of non-revenue sports. This practice is not conducive to producing well rounded student-athletes and really does not address the realities of sound athletic fiscal policy.I would venture to guess that if Mr. Walter’s statistics are correct, i.e. 85 football scholarships and 120 participants, that somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 of the 85 who have scholarships and 40 of the 120 who are rostered, never play a down in a game or, at best, never play any significant amount of time.That is a lot of expense to simply have “practice squads” during the week. It is also an expense that, due to mismanagement of athletic budgets, impacts adversely on the smaller supposed non-revenue sports.It is ironic in that it is these other sports, sometimes individual, sometimes team sports, in which the athletes often continue to participate after college, i.e., lacrosse, track, swimming, golf, tennis, soccer, volleyball, etc., and which, with their education, make them well round individuals.Signature 874: Our daughter played four years of D-1 soccer for Vanderbilt Univ.. While she was a student, we witnessed the discontinuation of the men's soccer program and the devastation this caused in not only the players lives but for the university as a whole. Please reconsider your decision, consider your other options (note #177 Comments). There has to be a better way to solve your financial situation without dissolving these three athletic programs!!!Signature 848: Please reinstate women's lacrosse as it is one of America's fastest growing sports . Our country, the USA, needs leaders for the future and student /athletes help pave the way in their passion for excellence, dedication, and discipline. Women's and men's sports such as lacrosse and track allow paths to further our future generations' development.Signature 827: As an alumni of OU I am strenuously opposed to the idea of cutting any sports. You cant tell me that the university doesn't have the funds for these sports that while they may not be the huge moneymakers, are still beloved and popular sports. I hope these athletic displays are not being sacrificed for the sake of that new student center or any other new buildings that someone decided should be built. Isn't that why tuition is raised every single year?Signature 827: When the interests of the college or university yields to saving money rather than the development of their students, then that college or university should question not only whom they serve, but also the direction in which the path they are on leads, for it appears to be a slippery slope.Signature 816: In an atmosphere of "higher learning" surely someone can come up with a solution that allows the University to continue financially without punishing what should be at the heart of these Institutions, the students.Signature 760: As an O.U. alumna & parent of a Swim alum I am furious about this. I have been financially, emotionally & loyally contributing to the Swim program for years. Along with other families across the country, we have also provided meals when they travel to our area - to help with team expenses. We were asked to join the Bobcat Club whose purpose is "to enhance the student-athlete experience for all 531student-athletes". Where will my designated Men's Swimming contribution go???? They hoped to raise $400,000 but at last count they've gotten over a half million!!!! I think we've been duped - or worse. If they eliminate these programs, I'll have to consider if I will ever trust the administration or donate another dollar.Signature 760: To Whom It May Concern, I am a 1993 graduate of Western Michigan University. As a Track and Field Alumni, I was disappointed in my University's decision to drop track & field a number of years ago. Since that decision I have decided not to make any donations to the school or its athletic department until they reinstate the program. I would expect the Ohio University Alumni to maintain a similar position. Brian Salyers Head Coach of 2003 & 2004 State Champion Milford Cross Country Program.Signature 752: College athletics is supposed to be about the athletes and the personal growth it provides. If the University has made a commitment to a program, then cancels but says that scholarships will be honored, they are missing the point. The students compete because they love the sport, not because they have a scholarship. If it's about the money, why not 'dump' all non-profit sports, if that's your philosophy? It is hard to understand how the cost of pool time and coaches is saved if the Women's Team for Swimming and Diving still exists. These teams are synergistic. If you know the sport you know that. Get this petition to the Board of Trustees well before the 2/15/06 meeting.Signature 742: Nothing good can come about from cutting these sports. As a volunteer coach at Ohio, it is obvious that these sports mean something special to each of those athletes and the community at large. The administration is hired and charged with the task of doing what is best for the student and the school. Doing this takes time, energy, and creativity. Earn the salary now and find a better solution.Signature 717: Lets see...... how many "walkons" are on the 4 teams involved? Multiply that number by the yearly tuition add in dollars for other university fees. Maybe if more people would have attended the events of those sports then there would have been more local support. That is certainly not the fault of the athletes...the fault lies squarely in the lap of the athletic department administration and SID office.When was the last time you saw a press release announcing specific athletes coming to compete at Ohio in those minor sports? I have lived in the Athens area for over 50 years and for the last 35 years, there has never been a media "frenzy" for the upcoming "OHIO RELAYS!" Maybe the SID office is the fault.....maybe it is the AD......maybe the president...... we saw more "Got Frank" ads than ads for the cut sports COMBINED! I would suggest that people just start simply stop contributing to the Ohio athletic funds!Signature 698: Seven MAC schools have now dropped men's track and field and two of those XC as well. Those that kept XC (at least their foot is still in the door) evidently don't realize that XC will never be any good without track. BG and Toledo are now always last and next to last in MAC XC.The conference has been ruined in wrestling, swimming, track, etc. by the unscrupulous acts of various AD's trying to show that they were cutting costs, by dropping things like that, when, in reality, they were escalating football expenditures in the hopeless quest to be big-time in football. They even subsidize three of the four bowl games they participated in.When the NCAA went to a 16 sport requirement, with at least six being in each gender, they basically sealed the fate of many Olympic sports. It is a sad state of affairs and they hide behind Title IX, but the issue really is money and the amount of it that they spend on MAC football.Minorities are having one of their three main sports taken away and the women enjoy having a male counterpart team at their school. Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Toledo, Ball State, Western Michigan, Marshall (now gone from MAC), and now Ohio University make the TRACK HATERS HALL OF FAME, for what they have done.Perhaps the alumni should rise up and demand the firing of their Presidents and AD's. The WMU track alums played a big role in the recent demise of their former President, who was the one who dropped track & field and cross country in Dec. 2003. The Broncos had won 33 MAC titles and two NCAA titles, but she ignored that and dropped them anyway.Elmore Banton won the 1964 NCAA XC title and was the 1st African-American student to do so, and his team was 3rd. Bob Bertelson won the 1973 NCAA 6mile title. The Bobcats have had many great track & field and cross country athletes through the years.Banton was also their long-time coach, as was Stan Huntsman, who moved on to Tennessee and then Texas, and was also USA head Olympic track and field coach. It is indeed a sad day, and just gives further evidence to the fact that college athletics are a far far far cry from what they are supposed to be, and that the emphasis is purely on the money-making schemes of administrators and to satisfy the ego's of ADs and football boosters.Signature 678:As a former collegiate athlete, I am saddened to hear of your plans to cut several Men's and Women's sports at Ohio University. Running track and cross country in college aided my personal development at least as much as enduring a rigorous psychology and biology curriculum. I don't know much about being a university administrator, but I do know that such a decision would cause me to lose sleep if I wasn't 100% sure it was the BEST thing for the MOST student-athletes. Please don't leave these young men an women out in the cold for the wrong reasons.Signature 677:My daughter was part of the rebuilding process from 2001 through 2004. She chose Ohio for its academic reputation, the personality and philosophy of Coach Anne Moelk and the nature of the town of Athens. She was proud of her accomplishments at OU. Despite being an assistant lacrosse coach at another Division I school, she still wears OU apparel when away from that school. With the decision, she feels that her career at OU is meaningless as there is now no program to point back to. It is sad that such alumna pride has been diminished by the decision to revoke the lacrosse program.Signature 671:As an OU athletic training alum I am appalled and ashamed of the actions of the University's decision to cut teams. It would have been nice if concerns about funding were expressed to the teams and public, say while the billion dollar bicentennial campaign was going on, or when we shelled out big bucks for a new football coach and athletic director. Neither of which probably ever stepped foot inside a swim meet or appeared at a track meet or lacrosse game. Apparently, the tradition and true value of playing or watching a sport are lost upon our university...unless, of course, it makes them money.Signature 625:It would be a shame for this tradition to die. These athletes aren't asking for your money; they are asking for a chance to chase their dreams.Signature 615:Unbelievable. Words cannot begin to express my disappointment and frustration. Ohio University encourages student athletes to pursue their dreams and then they turn around and crush those dreams? They demand that student athletes stay out of trouble and be role models, but then the university takes away the one thing that inspires them to stay clean and strive for excellence? Good Plan? I think not. Unbelievable.Signature 605:These athletes have dedicated themselves to representing their university on the athletic field. I feel that the administration should be ashamed of their actions; the administrators acted in an extremely unfair manner. Student athletes in minor sports already have to face adversity from the administration, for the administration often sees them as dollar signs. These athletes love doing the very thing that defines them the majority of the time, yet the school has taken that away from them. They deserve to be given their sports back.Signature 595:OU class of 1997. OHSAA SE district DII Cross Country Coach of the Year 2004, 2005, 2006. This is an inexcusable act and if allowed to stand will totally alienate me from my alma mater.Signature 593:OU will never have a good football team. Red shirting their freshman players and having a roster 100+....I think we have a problem here. Let them take a bus to their games instead of flying!...The swimming & diving team rode a bus and stayed in a s***** hotel, while the football team flew to the same location (Buffalo) and stayed in the Holiday Inn 2 guys per room. The swimmers/divers 4 to a room. And guess what? The swimming/diving team won their meet and well....as you probably guessed the football team didn't come close.Signature 578:Football is always at fault for these cuts. It is unfair to all the other athletes who work just as hard or in the case of a lot of sports harder! Andrew G. Kramer Cincinnati Wyoming High School Head boys Cross Country/Track Distance Coach.Signature 576:So sad to take away the one good thing -- GOOD, CLEAN FUN! that these kids so love and enjoy. It is in their hearts and souls to play and compete -- camaraderie and discipline. Geez -- WHY WOULD YOU TAKE THAT AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!Signature 514:The [athletes in the] sports being cut, in my experience, are of some of the brightest student athletes any university has. When I was involved in the Indoor/Outdoor track program at the University of Notre Dame, the Men's team consistently had people on the Dean's List and often had people achieve a perfect 4.0 during semesters. I heard similar things from my fellow student athletes in the swimming and lacrosse program. Cutting these programs shows a disregard for the balanced student athlete who is BOTH student AND athlete. Also, sports like lacrosse swimming and track are probably a few of the lowest cost sports. Please keep these teams alive at Ohio University.Signature 497: Is a school really a school without these sports programs? By reducing the number of student athletes, you're reducing the amount of young people who live and breathe for OU. These students are some of your greatest advertising assets.Signature Many great students are paying their way to attend OU, bring positive press to the university and go on to be successful members of society. Save Ohio University Track and Field!Signature http://www.thepost.ohiou.edu/articles/2007/02/02/sports/17451.html tells it all: They'd do it for free, but you won't let them. Shame on you, OU. I hope alumni donations drops to $0... you want us to speak with our wallets? OK, I can do that.Signature In the 4 years my daughter Lauren played lacrosse for OU, Lyn and I went to all but 4 games in 4 years games, including going to away games at Stanford and St Mary's (Calif). I logged in excess of 32,000 miles going to these games. The girls became our "daughters". Their close friendships last to this day. I'm not about to see current and future lax girls miss these opportunities!Signature 449: Cutting Olympic sports to "supposedly" subsidize over-budgeted, under-thought football programs is unethical, irresponsible, and deceitful.Signature Mismanagement of the university's athletic budget shouldn't result in eliminating sports, but perhaps investigating where the money is being squandered!!!Signature It is a travesty that the overwhelming majority of scholarships and attention go to the key "money making" sports. The NCAA is not the NFL or the NBA, and it shouldn't strive to be. The NCAA and all its member institutions ought to strive to afford all willing and able athletes the same opportunities for training and success.It may seem trivial to cut "fringe" sports, but this sets a precedent that will leave the United States far behind other countries on the national stage in many sports, and will eventually leave schools with one gigantic football team and many disgruntled fans. I'm sure that is not exactly the diverse student body envisioned by the officials at OU.Signature As a current high school runner, and with intentions to continue running next year at the college level, I hate to see track cut from a school's list of sports. I know football is the most popular sport and brings the most money; however track and field is a long-standing tradition that should be continued. Who knows how many future Olympians, pro-marathoners, or just pure natural athletes will miss their chance to become great through the OU program. Plus track is popular all over the world and in the Olympics, while football is not. Track is more important than it is receiving credit for, and I hate to see it die at any university. I hope the administration rethinks this decision. Good Luck to all those affected by this unfortunate turn of events. Long live track and field!Signature I am a part of the women's track team here at OU. Men's and Women's track are not two separate teams. It's like half of our team is getting taken away from us. Pole Vault is my passion. I love it, and don't know what I'd do without the sport. I can't imagine being told that I couldn't be a part of a team or compete. This is not fair at all to the Guys on the track team. Yes, those that do have partial scholarship are allowed to keep them, but in all honesty, how many track scholarships are given out to the guys? The majority of the guys are there working hard because they love it, and can't live without it. The day we found out about the cut, I have never seen so many unhappy and crying guys at a time. They are in it because they love it, let them stay.Signature I am extremely disappointed that Ohio University has decided to cut Men's Track and Field. As a collegiate All-American and current collegiate coach in the sport it saddens me to no end that a university would decide to cut track and field at a school with such a rich and storied tradition in the sport of track and field. It is a disgrace.Signature The cutting of programs in education has got to stop! Collegiate athletics is a worthy and productive part of the entire educational process. Make the decision to protect the educational process!Signature Quoting Hoovis: 'Your recent decision to "cut" the track and field program is depriving young adults of this important learning opportunity. If Ohio University is committed to academic excellence and creating a rich environment for student “learning”, then you will strongly reconsider your actions.'Signature My coach played lacrosse at Ohio. She has taught us the real meaning of teamwork. She is very upset about your decisions to cut these sports. You won't get my support in the future. I wouldn't like to go to a university that doesn't respect their students.Signature Bring back track! Come down off your high-horse with football and foster growth in the student body as a whole.Signature I was once a college track athlete. I learned valuable lessons about working hard, about getting along with others, and about may aspects of life. I learned way more about this things on the track and cross country courses (including those at your esteemed university) then I ever learned in a classroom. Your recent decision to "cut" the track and field program is depriving young adults of this important learning opportunity.If Ohio University is committed to academic excellence, then you will realize that your actions are depriving students of the chance to learn these "real life" lessons. While I can fully appreciate your eagerness to gain the financial rewards that come with building a powerhouse football team, it should NOT be done at the expense of other student athletes. It will take years to build the tradition needed to become a powerhouse football team.I would encourage you to strongly reconsider your decision to cut the track and field program and throw away one of the few sports programs at your university that already has such a tradition. Once a sense of tradition is stopped/interrupted, it is difficult to get it back. Once students graduate from college and are forced out into the real world, it is difficult for them to get back the chance to learn the important lessons of life in a "safe, educational" environment (the real world can be very harsh). Reconsider your decision to throw away this tradition and to deprive students of important learning...bring back the track and field program at Ohio University.Signature Please reconsider your decision to cut Men's Track and Field. There are people willing to help accomplish the department's goals in ways other than cutting sports.Signature 347: If Ohio University drops their track and field program I will NEVER recommend OU to any of the students and student/athletes that I am in contact with. In fact, I will discourage anyone from attending OU. You are attempting to drop the program for the wrong reasons!Signature As a parent of a girl who played girl's lax in college (as well as high school), I am so sad to hear about what has happened at OU. As a parent of a boy who is likely to swim in college I am also sad. Being a long distance runner for over thirty years, and having run the Athens Marathon (both at OU as well as Athens, Greece) I am so sorry that OU had to do this. I understand about money, but the opportunities that have been lost for those children (and coaches) is a tremendous loss.These higher level sports allow our younger kids something to aspire to. My daughter's best friends as an adult are from college lacrosse and I know many other girls who have their friends based out of lacrosse experiences in college. That loss of developing the whole body (not just the academics) is a shame that OU cannot provide for those who would have been playing in those activities. If there is any way to bring them back it would be greatly appreciated.Signature 275: The unilateral action taken by the administration in cutting these programs without including the athletes, coaches and alumni involved has hurt me deeply as a member of the Men's Track and Field Team. I hope that with clear, level-headed criticism and the support of the community and Bobcats around the nation we can right this wrong.Signature 272: There are actions that can be taken to make sure all three of these teams are kept, while meeting Title IX compliance. By limiting men's roster sizes, I have already come up with a way to keep us at the necessary 52% female, 48% male. Furthermore, roster limitations could save roughly $125,000, which more than pays for the Lacrosse budget of ($99,575). We can get this decision reversed! "The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have little." - Franklin D. RooseveltSignature Athletics are an essential part of an all-encompassing collegiate experience and abandoning the programs is one of the worst things a college can do.Signature 245: Women's Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports for girls in high school. It is not a particularly expensive sport to support. Swimming and running are sports for all and should be encouraged as a way of life.Signature College is about having great experiences and not letting the students down. As an alum and former coach at OU they could have made a better decision than cutting the fastest growing sport in the US.Signature I'm an '01 Ohio University grad who played lacrosse and was a tri-captain my senior year. The experience was incredible, the people I met were amazing and now, when I speak to others about OU, I rave about the school and my time there. The thought that it will be taken away from those hardworking student athletes at OU now (and future athletes) makes me sad, mad and frustrated. There's got to be another way. Please find it.Signature 176: [Note: The gentleman whose signature appears next to this petition entry is the President of the Ohio University National Capital Alumni Network.]Here are a few ideas that could be used to help save these programs and reduce the athletic dept. deficit at the same time.1. Cutting all athletic Budgets by 3%.2. With the Athletic department being overstaffed! – Propose not to replace empty staff positions for 6 months and put the money back into the budget. We have a very capable sports admin program and could use some students to fill in for the short term.3. Propose to asking the Bobcat Club for assistance – they are able re-earmark the money to the athletic department. They have raised $560,000 since June for the "to provide funding to enhance the student-athlete experience for all student-athletes that comprise our men's and women's intercollegiate sport teams." This would seem like a worthy manner to spend some of that money4. Propose asking every alumni who participated in sports for $200 for the next 3 years. (Stating that the athletic program is in a dyer need for assistance. Letting the alumni know that their athletic program is in great financial need.)5. Propose to the student senate add $10 activity fee for each quarter for the next 3 year, similar to the activity fee for the Ping center6. Propose cutting men’s indoor track and field only and cutting back on team rosters for outdoor track and field to 45, which will cut the total number of 60 male athletes.Other ideas that I would advocate employing would be to:1. Reduce the # of football players on the squad that are non-essential. We have to have 85 full scholarships for football, fine. But do we need 120 players on the team. 85 players is already 4 players at every position. Each player on the team costs the University $10,000 a year. Cut the roster down to 100 players. Save $200,000 per year. $800,000 over 4 years BTW, each Track & Field athlete costs the University less than $1,000 per year. Track and Field actually makes the University money! They give out 7 scholarships, which are usually divided in half and given to 14 or so athletes. Each of these athletes contributes half of their tuition to attend. The other 40 athletes on the team pay their entire way to the University. Over 4 years these athletes contribute $800,000 to the school, far more than the cost of running the program during that time!2. Spend more responsibly on Football. Did we really have to bring every single player to Mobile, including the red shirts? If they didn't contribute during the year to the success in getting to the GMAC Bowl, then let them go next year when they do play and we make it there again! Do we have to pay for the players to stay in a hotel room for HOME GAMES? This is just ludicrous!3. Schedule more money games for Football. In our non-conference games for next year, we will only probably be getting a payout from the Virginia Tech game. Schedule two $ games a year to help football pay for itself and quit being a drag on the budget. This would bring in $500,000 a year or so4. If you don't want an activity fee for student to support the athletic dept, then Charge the students for tickets to Football and Basketball !! OR charge a nominal fee for tickets to each game, whether they go or not, like the Ping Center. Each student contributes $ right now toward that, whether they use it or not. Charge $1 per home game for football and basketball per student for their tickets. 20,000 students x 16 homes games = $320,000 per year Just some ideas that are easily achievable!Other ideas:1. Mount a fundraising campaign to erase the deficit and keep all the teams. All the sports would benefit as well as other programs that are involved with the varsity teams - athletic training, sports administration.2. make it a project for students in the sports ad program to examine the budget and spending patterns and come up with solutions.3. Do a better job or marketing and selling sponsorships. Surely, we can raise more with some creative thinking.4. Bring back the PAW on merchandise! All profits on selling PAW merchandise for the next 3 years will be donated to erasing the deficit and keeping these 4 teamsSignature 161: I feel for all the players and coaches involved. My daughter is a 2007 recruit and she was very close to selecting OU mostly because of Allison. A outstanding person and coach. It was a tough choice. She choose a different school. We could have been in this sorry situation too! She selected a different school instead. Best of Luck!Signature 138: I'm Polish and I worked in the USA - the country in which all your dreams come true - so why dare to destroy the dreams of these athletes??? I'm with you Ohio Lacrosse!Signature 130: The Athletic Department made an unprofessional, uncaring, and ill advised decision to cut these programs. The Bobcats have taken a step back in the athletic world. I certainly will not recommend their University again!Signature 129: Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the area. There is much talent in the Midwest that can be tapped. OU should focus on building the program, not cutting.Signature 118: Very sad that the Athletic Dept was able to run up a $4 million debit, then decide to kill these programs in the manner they have.Signature 111: This is a horrible mistake and will make me think twice about sending my hard-earned alumni $ back to the University.Signature 93: I think the Ohio University Women's Lacrosse program, a program giving opportunity to women to play collegiate athletics and bring an athletics department into Title IX compliance, should not be cut due to an Athletic Director's inability to curb spending across the board!Signature 87: We supported OU Lax and other OU sports actively during the four years our daughter attended OU. We looked forward to doing so for the rest of our lives, attending OU Lax games and returning to OU for alumni games.The decision by OU's administration blindsided us. We had no/no advance warning that Lax and other sports might be dropped. Had we known, we and others interested in OU sports might have been able to help but we were not given that option by a secretive OU decision process.Why would OU's administration undertake this decision in a way that completely eliminated opportunities for active participation from those who might have been able to help? They are certainly not shy about asking for donations and other forms of help when they want to raise money for other sports needs.The apparent message is that they didn't want to find solutions and wanted to present the dropped teams with a final decision, timed to fall well into the school year, just before mid-term exams, for which there would be little time to react. This is unprofessional and a poorly thought out process.This contemptuous attitude has only served to anger us and we are mobilizing. Keep the faith. We will not let this drop.Signature 86: having a son on the men's swim team, most people don't understand that most swimmers training started at very early age, (grade school). These young men and women are not just friends, they have become FAMILY from the moment they made the decision to come to O.U. and compete, whether on the track or in the water, or on a field. We need to stand united for our children and remember that there is power in our unity.Signature 77: Ohio Lacrosse is one of the most well-known, well talked about sports in Ohio and taking away such a legacy would be a complete waste on the universities part. As a fellow D-1 athlete, the way that this situation was went about is completely ridiculous and unprofessional. Reinstate these sports, or lose some incredibly valuable athletes, students, and overall GOOD people.Signature 44: We have a high school sophomore daughter who plays lacrosse in Ohio and OU is one of the schools she is considering. Why would you cancel a sport that is growing in our area?Signature 39: Ohio University will Suffer in it's recruiting efforts for years if the happens. No SERIOUS Female swimmer will look at OU, No serious Female Track & field athlete, and Every Athlete for years will avoid it. The move could spell the downfall of Sports programs at OU.Signature 33: Women's lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the US and has afforded over 55 girls' in the last three years to go on to college lacrosse from the State of Ohio. OU's decision was a huge disappointment and a giant step back when everyone is moving forward. They really need to re-look at their decision. Currently the # of teams within the state are multiplying faster than any other sport and more girl's are participating from all economics backgrounds.Signature 31: It's a shame and embarrassment that OU decided to cut the fastest growing sport in the nation and in the state.Signature 23: This is outrageous! My daughter played lacrosse at OU for 4 years and it was a main reason she chose the school. I wonder why you lured the current players there under the premise that they could play on a Div. 1 team all the while knowing what was going to happen.What about the athletes that picked OU over other schools? What should they do now?? As everyone seems to be asking, how did this deficit come about and go on for so long??? Why was this not discussed with the entire athletic dept. in hopes that a solution and/or help could be found???Signature 23: [The person signing this entry was the OU lacrosse coach until 2002.] There are other alternatives to cutting these teams. It might mean that EVERY team will have to tighten their spending belt and maybe even give up a coach or two (do you really need 4 paid coaches for a roster of 12 players?) Ohio could be the leader in doing the right thing- this is what they would ask of their student athletes!Signature 10: This has put my daughter and my family under far too much stress than any college student should have to bear. When teams are cut, they are usually those with declining interest, not with a huge increase in interest. You have ruined many lives Mr. Hocutt, and you have not a care at all about the students you have hurt.Signature 2: As a former player and 2006 captain of Ohio Women's Lacrosse, I pledge that I will continue to fight these decisions until the student athletes have their voices heard and considered and are treated with the same respect they gave to Ohio University. |
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 DivingandSave 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
|
|
Copyright 2007 - 2008 by SaveOUSports.org - Email: SaveOUSports AT gmail DOT comSaveOUsports.org is a non-profit group devoted to action that will reinstate discontinued varsity sports at Ohio University.
|
