University of Minnesota to Trim Rosters of Non-Revenue Sports, Vote on Cutting 3 Men’s Sports

by Dan D'Addona — Swimming World Managing Editor

07 October 2020, 11:20am

The University of Minnesota Board of Regents will vote on a resolution to eliminate men’s track and field, gymnastics and tennis next week.

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the cuts won’t end there as the University of Minnesota aims to lower the scholarship number by 98 in non-revenue sports for the 2021-22 school year. That means in addition to the 57 athletes cut by the elimination of the three men’s sports, there will be 41 female athletes cut, according to the Star Tribune.

That will likely mean fewer people on the swimming and diving rosters, as well as across the board on non-revenue sports.

The resolution to eliminate three Gophers sports is on the agenda for next Friday’s meeting of the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents, setting up a vote on whether to end the men’s track and field, gymnastics and tennis programs after this season.

According to the Star Tribune’s report, pending Board of Regents approval, the Gophers project smaller rosters for eight women’s and two men’s teams, while six men’s teams and one women’s team are predicted to add to their rosters.

• More Big Ten news

The University of Minnesota currently sponsors 25 sports, fourth most in the Big Ten, on a $123 million athletic budget that ranks eighth in the conference.

In their announcement of the men’s sports cuts, Athletic Director Mark Coyle and President Joan Gabel said that number was not sustainable, despite record fundraising and reductions in operating expenses in recent years, according to the Star Tribune. Coyle said the university would have a potential $75 million pandemic-produced loss. “Everything is on the table,” the athletic director said.

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Ryan Connell

5 years ago

Tell me more about how Title IX only help women but doesn’t hurt men…

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