Colorado College Cuts 3 Sports

Football, softball, and water polo...

From the desk of President Richard Celeste...
The college’s decision is the culmination of hundreds of hours of research and evaluation by members of the athletic department, athletic board (including four faculty members), students, senior staff, and the Board of Trustees. It was not made in haste. It is intended to allow the athletic department to live within the available budget while providing the necessary resources to ensure that the remaining 17 programs are strong.

This move affects 76 students on campus, 54 men and 22 women. The choice of these three sports came down to competitive success, conference affiliation, available facilities, fundraising success (or endowment earnings), roster size, and recruiting success. It was also critical to follow all applicable federal regulations. This change actually will bring CC more closely into compliance with Title IX Gender Equity legislation, an important aspect of any decision involving athletic programs.

This step will be very upsetting for the young men and women affected, and they will need your support. We hope many will choose to continue their academic careers at Colorado College. We recognize, however, that some students may decide to transfer, and we pledge our full support in their efforts to select a new academic and athletic opportunity.

Colorado College is not the only school reducing the number of varsity offerings. In recent weeks schools including Johns Hopkins, Pepperdine, Quinnipiac, Wagner, Principia, Blackburn, and Agnes Scott have all announced cuts. This problem has also hit at the state school level: Western Washington, The University of Vermont, and Northern Iowa, among others, have announced significant cuts to their athletics departments. It is also clear from speaking with our colleagues at other schools that they are likewise considering reductions in programs.

Here's coverage from Lee Douglas and KOAA-TV 5/30...
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