Baseball, men's swim and dive, men's soccer, and women's rowing. Cut to shrink the budget.

http://www.ubbullrun.com/2017/4/3/151597...ce=twitter

Akron set the precedent for MAC teams to dump baseball. We may see even more schools do the same in the future.

Not specifically for baseball, but I've stated here before that I would be in favor of something similar at EMU (perhaps rowing, golf, tennis, wrestling).

(04-03-2017 08:44 AM)FrankAnderson Wrote:  Baseball, men's swim and dive, men's soccer, and women's rowing. Cut to shrink the budget.

http://www.ubbullrun.com/2017/4/3/151597...ce=twitter

Akron set the precedent for MAC teams to dump baseball. We may see even more schools do the same in the future.

Not specifically for baseball, but I've stated here before that I would be in favor of something similar at EMU (perhaps rowing, golf, tennis, wrestling).

From my perspective, EMU should only engage in sports that currently impact our regional and national image. With that said, I believe we should eliminate all University sponsored athletics excluding Football, Basketball, Baseball and Hockey. Although we should keep women's VB and their swimming for obvious reasons :-)

All of the other sports Should be sponsored as a club where the participants pay to participate.

(04-03-2017 08:44 AM)FrankAnderson Wrote:  Baseball, men's swim and dive, men's soccer, and women's rowing. Cut to shrink the budget.

http://www.ubbullrun.com/2017/4/3/151597...ce=twitter

Akron set the precedent for MAC teams to dump baseball. We may see even more schools do the same in the future.

Not specifically for baseball, but I've stated here before that I would be in favor of something similar at EMU (perhaps rowing, golf, tennis, wrestling).

I'm going to go way out of the box and tie that UBuffalo thread to the facilities thread...

I know good luck...

I could see the Regents saying to EMU Athletics - drop several sports and save 1M per year and we'll appropriate that 1M toward the facilities project if the department can raise X million dollars in private donations.

This is a classic EMU Steve deal:

1). EMU athletics raises 1/2 of the needed funds for the building project,

2). EMU athletics vacates space at Bowen to be used by the remainder of the university.

3). EMU athletics drops several sports with direct dollar savings of 1M / year.

This is a classic win-win, except for several sports which would be dropped, where it is essentially 'revenue-neutral' to the university and better leverages athletics funds for the good of the overall athletic department, i.e., improves facilities for the remainder of the sports at EMU.

(04-03-2017 09:58 AM)Luckeyone Wrote:  

(04-03-2017 08:44 AM)FrankAnderson Wrote:  Baseball, men's swim and dive, men's soccer, and women's rowing. Cut to shrink the budget.

http://www.ubbullrun.com/2017/4/3/151597...ce=twitter

Akron set the precedent for MAC teams to dump baseball. We may see even more schools do the same in the future.

Not specifically for baseball, but I've stated here before that I would be in favor of something similar at EMU (perhaps rowing, golf, tennis, wrestling).

From my perspective, EMU should only engage in sports that currently impact our regional and national image. With that said, I believe we should eliminate all University sponsored athletics excluding Football, Basketball, Baseball and Hockey. Although we should keep women's VB and their swimming for obvious reasons :-)

All of the other sports Should be sponsored as a club where the participants pay to participate.

So, eliminate the sports that we've dominated over the past few decades? I'm thankful you are not our AD. Hockey is already a club sport, and I wouldn't be too heartbroken if we got rid of baseball (despite being a huge baseball fan). But getting rid of swimming/diving, track/field, and cross country is just dumb. Those are cheap sports that we actually succeed in on a consistent basis.

(04-03-2017 10:24 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(04-03-2017 09:58 AM)Luckeyone Wrote:  

(04-03-2017 08:44 AM)FrankAnderson Wrote:  Baseball, men's swim and dive, men's soccer, and women's rowing. Cut to shrink the budget.

http://www.ubbullrun.com/2017/4/3/151597...ce=twitter

Akron set the precedent for MAC teams to dump baseball. We may see even more schools do the same in the future.

Not specifically for baseball, but I've stated here before that I would be in favor of something similar at EMU (perhaps rowing, golf, tennis, wrestling).

From my perspective, EMU should only engage in sports that currently impact our regional and national image. With that said, I believe we should eliminate all University sponsored athletics excluding Football, Basketball, Baseball and Hockey. Although we should keep women's VB and their swimming for obvious reasons :-)

All of the other sports Should be sponsored as a club where the participants pay to participate.

So, eliminate the sports that we've dominated over the past few decades? I'm thankful you are not our AD. Hockey is already a club sport, and I wouldn't be too heartbroken if we got rid of baseball (despite being a huge baseball fan). But getting rid of swimming/diving, track/field, and cross country is just dumb. Those are cheap sports that we actually succeed in on a consistent basis.

Sam, the majority of fans don't care about the sports we've dominated.

When you say cheap, what are the costs?

Per a press release, the department will save $2 million from dropping these supports.

I think baseball, in which we've invested donor money over the last what 5 - 10 years, is an expensive sport. Yet, after spending all that money I see no urge to eliminate it.

I'm getting into Title IX which is fraught with danger, but softball is a low profile, but fairly expensive sport (because of all of the travel ala men's baseball to warm weather sites in Feb. and March).

If we dropped softball we'd need to drop a men's sport and I'm not sure where the bucks and scholarships there are.

Dear Friends,
Doesn't Title IX have to be taken into consideration when there is discussion of eliminating team sports?

(04-03-2017 11:00 AM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Friends,
Doesn't Title IX have to be taken into consideration when there is discussion of eliminating team sports?

Yes.

I would assume that there would need to be a 1 : 1 ratio. Dropping equal numbers of men and women's scholarships.

I personally wouldn't mind too much if baseball got the axe, but I agree with Steve, I don't think it's going anywhere.

I would also think men's and women's swim is safe, as well as T&F and CC. Probably gymnastics too, with their recent national success. They bring enough championships and positive attention to merit saving. I would think golf and wrestling for men's, and tennis, golf, softball, and rowing for women's would be on the table for cutting.

Rowing has had little success since we've brought it on, and I've long said that (coupled with a men's sport) should be the first to drop. But bringing in Title IX considerations, it has a large amount of women's scholarships, and it is also the lowest budget sport. So despite getting 0 attention or success, it helps us on Title IX scholarships for a low cost.

This is why this discussion is tricky.

Agree, Frank:

There are at least 3 dimensions to consider for each sport (male or female):

1). What would be the direct dollar cost savings by eliminating those sports?

2). What is the profile of those sports (e.g., championships, money spent on facilities, etc.)?

3). What are the scholarship implications for Title IX?

E.g., softball is a low profile sport, which is expensive (because of the travel) but it would need to be offset by a comparable cut to one or two men's sports.

As Frank indicated, no one wants to cut T&F or CC as they are our better Olympic sports. They aren't really expensive either with most travel by bus.

I suspect the hard thing would be to find a men's sport to cut.

(04-03-2017 11:08 AM)FrankAnderson Wrote:  I personally wouldn't mind too much if baseball got the axe, but I agree with Steve, I don't think it's going anywhere.

I would also think men's and women's swim is safe, as well as T&F and CC. Probably gymnastics too, with their recent national success. They bring enough championships and positive attention to merit saving. I would think golf and wrestling for men's, and tennis, golf, softball, and rowing for women's would be on the table for cutting.

Rowing has had little success since we've brought it on, and I've long said that (coupled with a men's sport) should be the first to drop. But bringing in Title IX considerations, it has a large amount of women's scholarships, and it is also the lowest budget sport. So despite getting 0 attention or success, it helps us on Title IX scholarships for a low cost.

We have a golf course so cutting golf might be hard to do.

Wrestling might seem like a sport many would hate to cut, but might be a logical men's sport to cut (only because it is harder to find men's sports to cut).

This is why this discussion is tricky.

There are a lot of variables to consider when cutting sports. To me the only sports that make sense at EMU to cut are men and women's golf. They are: expensive on a per-participant basis, they are Title IX neutral, they bring in little exposure, they are not historic (unlike T&F and swimming), and that could free up the golf course as an asset.

Ironic that soccer teams are being cut as the sport continues to increase in popularity in the US. Thankfully club soccer is a very competitive alternative. In my opinion the club sports are more true to the origins of college athletics. Regular students that just want to play the game with very little reward.

If the measure for retaining a sport is fan interest, then we'd have no women's sports.

EMU should field as many sports as possible.

(04-03-2017 12:26 PM)ljmhurons Wrote:  If the measure for retaining a sport is fan interest, then we'd have no women's sports.

EMU should field as many sports as possible.

Exactly. As of today, as has always been the case, until things change drastically......college sports is simply part of the larger college culture and experience. Most sports have little to no fan base, and very very few institutions operate their overall athletic programs with a surplus.

For students, faculty, and administrators who want nothing to do with athletics, there are plenty of schools to choose from that have zero.

All we ever hear about from academia is diversity, inclusion, and a broad spectrum of opportunities and ideas.........right. Last I knew, athletics plays a big part in that mission. I would venture to guess there is more racial and cultural equity and harmony within the athletic arena, than you have on the EMU (or any other) campus at large.

Athletics brings people together. The opposite seems to be the trend in general.

Why doesn't Eastern have a men's soccer side team? Seems like outside of basic field maintenance it is a cheap enough sport to run.

(04-05-2017 10:19 AM)DexterDevil Wrote:  Why doesn't Eastern have a men's soccer side team? Seems like outside of basic field maintenance it is a cheap enough sport to run.

I agree with what you say, esp. since a soccer field used by women can also be used by men.

I don't know the answer, but we need to remember Title IX considerations.

EMU may have in the past had to drop a men's sport not simply because of financial reasons but also because of scholarship numbers.

I forgot when men's soccer was dropped and don't remember the circumstances surrounding it.

If we opted to add men's soccer what men's sport would be cut (to keep our scholarship numbers in balance)?

Soccer was dropped for Title IX. No woman was ever helped by destroying educational opportunities for men.

(04-05-2017 10:50 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(04-05-2017 10:19 AM)DexterDevil Wrote:  Why doesn't Eastern have a men's soccer side team? Seems like outside of basic field maintenance it is a cheap enough sport to run.

I agree with what you say, esp. since a soccer field used by women can also be used by men.

I don't know the answer, but we need to remember Title IX considerations.

EMU may have in the past had to drop a men's sport not simply because of financial reasons but also because of scholarship numbers.

I forgot when men's soccer was dropped and don't remember the circumstances surrounding it.

If we opted to add men's soccer what men's sport would be cut (to keep our scholarship numbers in balance)?

Idk, just figure it would be smart to have the fastest growing sport in the country (helps that there are so many amateur teams in the state that take players from the local college teams), but I'm biased because I fully enjoy soccer. Maybe add women's rugby for the offset.