Campus Message from AD Larry Williams - University of Akron Athletics
Dear members of the UA community,
gozips.com
Along with men's golf and women's tennis
I wish you luck, but unless you can develop a way to endow the program and make it self-sufficient, it's probably a goner. The problem here is that Akron was offering a few sports beyond the minimum number required to remain DI, so they had room to drop a few sports. Some other MAC schools were already operating with the minimum number of men's sports.To anyone who is an Akron Cross Country Alumnus, please PM me with your email address or email me at jto6@zips,uakron.edu (that's the letter o, not a zero).
I am compiling all men's cross country alumni information and sending out a google form to gather some more info in an effort to combat this.
I wish you luck, but unless you can develop a way to endow the program and make it self-sufficient, it's probably a goner. The problem here is that Akron was offering a few sports beyond the minimum number required to remain DI, so they had room to drop a few sports. Some other MAC schools were already operating with the minimum number of men's sports.
Good luck. Football is killing everything else.There are a lot of factors at play here, but one of the biggest things to consider is the fact that cross country is almost entirely endowed by the track program. They are under the same staff and scholarship umbrella. There is a small additional cost in terms of travel, but it is "minimal."
I think I typed it exactly once. So, you have said it as many times as anyone.for the love of God, please quit saying Akron U.
This is directed for the whole forum not just you...it's all over the threads.I think I typed it exactly once. So, you have said it as many times as anyone.
Sorry. All my stuff from there from the little basketballs I used to get at the games to shirts my dad had up until sometime in the 80's or maybe even 90's all had AU not UofA. It's dead to me now!This is directed for the whole forum not just you...it's all over the threads.
...So 70% of the team paying full tuition etc...
I don't think that the $4.4 million is only from those 3 teams. The article at the link above is poorly written but it does read "The elimination of these sports, along with salary reductions for select coaches, staff position eliminations, scholarship and operating reductions will total approximately $4.4 million."How does it cost 4.4 million for those 3 teams?
I can't speak about men's golf or women's tennis but the men's XC program has been successful and it has a lot of tradition. Over the years they have competed well and depending on the year, are one of the top programs in the MAC. While the track team has not been cut, by cutting XC it will decrease the strength of the distance events on the track team. Not many serious distance runners would want to attend a school that did not have both XC and track. As you may or may not know, Akron also has a fairly decent track team that competes well though in all fairness, the strength of the team in recent years has been from field events. It never made sense to me that a program would cut track and keep XC or cut XC and keep track.Many great points have been made here but how successful were these programs?
I can't speak about men's golf or women's tennis but the men's XC program has been successful and it has a lot of tradition. Over the years they have competed well and depending on the year, are one of the top programs in the MAC. While the track team has not been cut, by cutting XC it will decrease the strength of the distance events on the track team. Not many serious distance runners would want to attend a school that did not have both XC and track. As you may or may not know, Akron also has a fairly decent track team that competes well though in all fairness, the strength of the team in recent years has been from field events. It never made sense to me that a program would cut track and keep XC or cut XC and keep track.
In reviewing the budget I am wondering what the athletic department thought was the first program that should be cut? If it was women's tennis, did UA need to cut 2 men's teams in order to keep the balance that Title IX requires? If it is decided that XC would be reinstated would another men's team be on the chopping block in order to stay in compliance? I admittedly do not know a lot about Title IX requirements. If the XC program could figure out a way to be self-funding would it then count in the Title IX numbers?