Bowling Green State University Athletics
Comments from Paul Krebs
March 21, 2002 | General
March 21, 2002
Are there any other sports that could be cut in the future?
No.
How did you arrive at these sports?
Once the decision was made to drop sports, we used a number of criteria to determine sports that should be considered for elimination. The criteria included competitive success, financial considerations, equity, tradition of the program, national and regional health of the sport, opportunity for future success and other variables. In order to compete in the MAC we must offer football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, and women's volleyball.
Is the financial situation of the Department of Athletics really that bad?
Yes. In recent years The Department of Athletics has struggled to balance the budget. Currently Athletics has a cumulative deficit of $3.4 million dollars (accumulated over 80 years of intercollegiate competition). The Department is currently running the largest sports program in the MAC on one of the smallest operating budgets and has been under-funded. Rising costs of travel, gasoline, tuition, etc. have all compounded the problem.
Why now?
This was not a quick decision. For three years we have focused on raising additional revenues to help adequately fund our 22 varsity teams. Unfortunately, the costs to run a Division I program, the strained budget, and the current funding problems for higher education in Ohio combined to result in this solution. We can no longer afford to operate 22 teams in a competitive nature. The fear is that if we do not take some sort of action soon that all of our programs will be compromised. We have delayed this action for several years in order to increase revenues, but we have been unable to do this in sufficient enough fashion to stave off the elimination of sports.
What happens to the student-athletes?
The most painful part of this process is the effect this decision has on student-athletes. Any student-athlete who is on scholarship would receive that scholarship for the 2002-2003 academic year. Any student that wanted to transfer would become immediately eligible at another school. We will do anything we can to assist athletes who want to transfer.
Couldn't you find ways to save money and avoid dropping sports?
No. We operate on a very limited budget, one of the smallest budgets in the league, with the largest program. While we have worked hard to control expenses the last several years, there is no real opportunity within our budget to carve out the necessary funds needed to support 22 varsity sports. More importantly, our program is undercapitalized and many of our sports need more money in their budgets.
People see things like lights, new bleachers and other facility improvements, why couldn't these funds be used to save the programs?
The funding for those projects come from monies designated for capital improvements, basically, bricks and mortar. State law does not allow you to allocate funds designated for capital improvements for other needs such as operating budgets, scholarships, or salaries.
What about fewer football scholarships as a way to save money?
Doing so would jeopardize our standing as a member of the Mid-American Conference and would have a much more adverse effect financially on all of our sport programs. We are committed to competing on the Division IA level, but more importantly, our membership in the MAC is vital to all of our programs except hockey.
Was this decision based on equity?
Every decision we make considers the issue of equity. The main rationale for this decision was economics and competitiveness, along with gender equity. Equity was and always is a factor, but not the driving factor. If our sole purpose were compliance with Title IX, we would have arrived at a much different solution to the problem. One positive result of this difficult decision is that we move much closer to our goal of compliance with Title IX. Our new participation numbers for student-athletes after these changes are 53% female and 47% male.
How much money will this save?
Not enough. When it is all said and done, after we recover all scholarship dollars, about $360,000 annually.
What happens to the coaches?
Two full-time coaching positions will be eliminated as a result of eliminating sports. Coaches will remain on contract until June 30. We will do everything in our power to help our coaches find other places of employment.
Did you consider dropping any women's sports?
No. Due to Title IX and equity reasons, once the decision was made to drop sports, we focused exclusively on men's programs.
Who made the decision?
This was an administrative decision that involved conversations with the President of the University, and the Vice President for Student Affairs, other members of the University Administration, and the Department of Athletics. As with all decisions that have University-wide implications, the President apprised members of the Board of Trustees.
Haven't our teams improved competitively in the last several years?
They have. Football and basketball have had historic seasons on the playing fields and many of the other programs are well positioned for future success. Momentum and morale is high. The current success makes the decision all the more painful and necessary. To stay competitive, our teams need the necessary resources.
What is the appeals process?
There is no appeals process. This is a difficult decision. It was not something that was made lightly and we fully recognize that a lot of people's lives are going to be impacted. Our effort is concentrated on assisting the young men in the programs in any way that we can and moving forward with the implications of the decision.
Why didn't you use a public forum to discuss elimination of sports? Why weren't more people involved?
This is a very painful and difficult decision that has profound impact on a number of people's lives. It was important that the leadership and the decision-makers of the University were critically involved in the decision-making process and they were. Public discussion and public forums can make this even more painful and more difficult. It extends the amount of time and anxiety involved in the process. We chose a process that we thought would be the least painful and the most productive. Significant public debate makes it very difficult for the entire Athletic Department.
Why are you keeping cross-country if you are eliminating the track programs?
A number of schools offer cross-country as a varsity sport without a track team. Around the state, Wright State, Xavier, and Dayton all have cross country teams and no varsity track. The athletes can run unattached during the track season. We have great tradition in distance running and keeping cross-country allows us to maintain the tradition. We feel we can have a competitive team investing limited resources.
