By Ron Neugent<\/p>\n
April 26. STATISTICS compiled by universities that have cut men's swsimming teams present a cautionary tale for schools, such as Toledo, contemplating ssimilar, ill-conceived moves.<\/p>\n
A few months back you published statistics in Swimming World<\/i> from the Big XII Conference football results that compared the universities that eliminated men\u2019s swimming & diving in March 2001 (Iowa State, Kansas, and Nebraska) to those that did not eliminate men\u2019s swimming & diving (Missouri, Texas, and Texas A&M). <\/p>\n
I have updated those statistics with results from men\u2019s Big XII basketball from 2000-01 to 2002-03 and an evaluation of overall (men & women) athletic department performance from the NACDA Directors\u2019 Cup results from 1993-2003. <\/p>\n
The results suggest the same trend. Overall, the Big XII universities that downsized their athletic department in March 2001 are struggling.<\/p>\n
Nebraska and Iowa State\u2019s decline in the NACDA Directors\u2019 Cup from 2000-01 to the current rankings is dramatic. <\/p>\n
Nebraska has fallen from a consistent top thirteen ranking to 22nd in 2001-02 and now 31st in 2002-03. <\/p>\n
Iowa State\u2019s performance is even more dismal, plummeting from a consistent 40-50+ ranking to the current 110th. <\/p>\n
Kansas continues to struggle around 80th place. <\/p>\n
As Terry Holland, former athletic director at the University of Virginia, said in a June 2001 issue of Street & Smith\u2019s Sportsbusiness Journal, cutting sports is a short-term budgetary solution and \u201csooner or later you will cut your own throat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Football, basketball, and overall athletic department statistics may fluctuate from year to year. However, a university athletic department is a sports fraternity, with both men and women members. For a high school student-athlete (male or female), part of the decision-making process of where to attend college depends on what school your friends are planning to attend. This includes friends that participate in other sports and other university programs. The more sports and programs offered by a university, the greater the opportunity that athletic and non-athletic friends can attend the same university. <\/p>\n
In addition, the better the college athletic fraternity (male and female), the easier it is for a university to recruit athletes to its programs. I believe that is the main reason for Stanford University\u2019s athletic success (eight straight first place finishes in the NACDA Directors\u2019 Cup competition!). Stanford boasts 33 or 34 varsity sports \u2013 what a fraternity of friends! As a contrast, Kansas currently offers only 18 varsity sports.<\/p>\n
THE STATS:<\/p>\n
Men\u2019s football results of the three Big XII Conference universities that dropped men\u2019s sports programs in March 2001. <\/p>\n
KANSAS NEBRASKA IOWA STATE<\/p>\n
\t Wins-Losses (Win %)\t Wins-Losses (Win %) Wins-Losses (Win %)
\n Overall Conference Overall Conference Overall Conference
\n2000 4-7 (36.4) 2-6 (25.0) 10-2 (83.3) 6-2 (75.0) 9-3 (75.0) 5-3 (62.5)<\/p>\n
2001 3-9 (25.0) 1-7 (12.5) 11-2 (84.6) 7-1 (87.5) 7-4 (63.6) 4-4 (50.0)<\/p>\n
2002 2-10 (16.7) 0-8 (0.0) 7-7 (50.0) 3-5 (37.5) 7-7 (50.0) 4-4 (50.0) <\/p>\n
The average overall winning percentage for all three universities decreased from 64.9% to 38.9% (a decrease of 26.0%) from 2001 to 2003. The average conference winning percentage for all three universities decreased from 54.2% to 29.2% (a decrease of 25.0%). <\/p>\n
Men\u2019s football results of the three Big XII Conference universities that continue to offer men\u2019s swimming & diving as a varsity sport program.<\/p>\n
\t\t TEXAS\t\t TEXAS A&M\t \t MISSOURI<\/p>\n
\t Wins-Losses (Win %)\t Wins-Losses (Win %) Wins-Losses (Win %)
\n Overall Conference Overall Conference Overall Conference
\n2000 9-3 (75.0) 7-1 (87.5) 7-5 (58.3) 5-3 (67.5) 3-8 (27.3) 2-6 (25.0)<\/p>\n
2001 8-4 (66.7) 7-1 (87.5) 8-4 (66.7) 4-4 (50.0) 4-7 (36.4) 3-5 (37.5)<\/p>\n
2002 11-2 (84.6) 6-2 (75.0) 6-6 (50.0) 3-5 (37.5) 5-7 (41.7) 2-6 (25.0) <\/p>\n
The average overall winning percentage for all three universities increased from 53.5% to 58.8% (an increase of 5.3%) from 2001 to 2003. The average conference winning percentage for all three universities decreased from 60.0% to 45.8% (a decrease of 14.2%). <\/p>\n
When the decrease in overall win % (-26.0%) of the three universities that eliminated men\u2019s sports programs is compared to the increase in win % (+5.3%) of the three universities that did not eliminate men\u2019s swimming & diving, A NET OVERALL ADVANTAGE OF 31.3% WAS GAINED BY THE UNIVERSITIES THAT DID NOT ELIMINATE MEN\u2019S SWIMMING & DIVING. When the decrease in conference win % (-25.0%) of the three universities that eliminated men\u2019s sports programs is compared to the decrease in conference win % (-14.2%) of the three universities that did not eliminate men\u2019s swimming & diving, A NET CONFERENCE ADVANTAGE OF 10.8% WAS GAINED BY THE UNIVERSITIES THAT DID NOT ELIMINATE MEN\u2019S SWIMMING & DIVING.<\/p>\n
KANSAS NEBRASKA IOWA STATE<\/p>\n
\t Wins-Losses (Win %)\t Wins-Losses (Win %) Wins-Losses (Win %)
\n Overall Conference Overall Conference Overall Conference
\n2001 26-7 (78.8) 12-4 (75.0) 14-16 (46.7) 7-9 (43.8) 25-6 (80.6) 13-3 (81.3)<\/p>\n
2002 33-4 (89.2) 16-0 (100.0) 13-15 (46.4) 6-10 (37.5) 12-19 (38.7) 4-12 (25.0)<\/p>\n
2003 30-8 (78.9) 14-2 (87.5) 11-19 (36.7) 3-13 (18.8) 17-14 (54.8) 5-11 (31.3) <\/p>\n
The average overall winning percentage for all three universities decreased from 68.7% to 56.8% (a decrease of 11.9%) from 2001 to 2003. The average conference winning percentage for all three universities decreased from 66.7% to 45.9% (a decrease of 20.8%). <\/p>\n
Men\u2019s basketball results of the three Big XII Conference universities that continue to offer men\u2019s swimming & diving as a varsity sport program.<\/p>\n
\t\t TEXAS\t\t TEXAS A&M\t \t MISSOURI<\/p>\n
\t Wins-Losses (Win %)\t Wins-Losses (Win %) Wins-Losses (Win %)
\n Overall Conference Overall Conference Overall Conference
\n2001 25-9 (73.5) 12-4 (75.0) 10-20 (33.3) 3-13 (18.8) 20-13 (60.6) 9-7 (56.3)<\/p>\n
2002 22-12 (64.7) 10-6 (62.5) 9-22 (29.0) 3-13 (18.8) 24-12 (66.7) 9-7 (56.3)<\/p>\n
2003 26.7 (78.8) 13-3 (81.3) 14-14 (50.0) 6-10 (37.5) 22-11 (66.7) 9-7 (56.3) <\/p>\n
The average overall winning percentage for all three universities increased from 55.8% to 65.2% (an increase of 9.4%) from 2001 to 2003. The average conference winning percentage for all three universities increased from 50.0% to 58.4% (an increase of 8.4%). <\/p>\n
When the decrease in overall win % (-11.9%) of the three universities that eliminated men\u2019s sports programs is compared to the increase in win % (+9.4%) of the three universities that did not eliminate men\u2019s swimming & diving, A NET OVERALL ADVANTAGE OF 21.3% WAS GAINED BY THE UNIVERSITIES THAT DID NOT ELIMINATE MEN\u2019S SWIMMING & DIVING. When the decrease in conference win % (-20.8%) of the three universities that eliminated men\u2019s sports programs is compared to the increase in conference win % (+8.4%) of the three universities that did not eliminate men\u2019s swimming & diving, A NET CONFERENCE ADVANTAGE OF 29.2% WAS GAINED BY THE UNIVERSITIES THAT DID NOT ELIMINATE MEN\u2019S SWIMMING & DIVING.
\nNACDA DIRECTORS\u2019 CUP RESULTS (1993-2003)*<\/p>\n
\t\tKansas\t Nebraska\t Iowa State\t<\/p>\n
1993-94\t 28th\t\t 18th\t\t 58th<\/p>\n
1994-95\t 33rd\t\t 9th\t\t 49th<\/p>\n
1995-96\t 31st\t\t 8th\t\t 40th<\/p>\n
1996-97\t 59th\t\t 4th\t\t 41st\t<\/p>\n
1997-98\t 51st (tie)\t 9th\t\t 62nd (tie)<\/p>\n
1998-99\t 56th (tie)\t 12th\t\t 56th (tie)<\/p>\n
1999-2000\t 82nd\t\t 6th\t\t 42nd<\/p>\n
2000-01**\t 79th\t\t 13th\t\t 54th<\/p>\n
2001-02\t 64th\t\t 22nd\t\t 58th<\/p>\n
2002-03\t 82nd\t\t 31st\t\t 110th
\n(to 4-17-03)<\/p>\n
* = "The NACDA Directors' Cup has become the measuring stick by which colleges and universities
\n evaluate their athletics programs' postseason success" \u2013 NACDA Website<\/p>\n
** = Iowa State, Kansas, and Nebraska downsize their athletic departments by
\n eliminating men\u2019s swimming & diving. In addition, Iowa State eliminates men\u2019s
\n baseball and Kansas eliminates men\u2019s tennis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Ron Neugent April 26. STATISTICS compiled by universities that have cut men's swsimming teams present a cautionary tale for schools, such as Toledo, contemplating ssimilar, ill-conceived moves. A few<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-zzzzzzzzz"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n