ASU President Michael Crow & Vice President for University Athletics Lisa Love announced, as many as 70 student athletes will be affected by the immediate discontinuation of the men's swimming, men's tennis & wrestling teams. Also, 6 full-time coaching positions will now be eliminated. The Head coaches will remain on contract through this November. The decision was made upon the budget cuts the University is facing.
"The profile of our operations budget & donation base does not lend itself to the sponsorship of 22 athletic teams," says Love. "While our revenue streams are achieving a positive trajectory they are simply not keeping pace with the current size & scope of the department."
Love also went on to say, "The decision to discontinue sports has been the most distressing & painful choice this administration has had to make. It is counter-intuitive to our administrative thinking. This decision impacts many people, both on & off our campus. The entire University, the Board of Regents, Sun Devil alumni & other universities will share in the loss of these sports & student-athletes & the contributions they have made to our University & to their sport."
The student-athletes in the discontinued sports who decide to transfer to another institution will be provided with full assistance from ASU regarding the transfer process. The student-athletes who chose to remain at ASU will receive the full benefits of their scholarship awards through their senior year.
"Our primary concern for the immediate future is the student-athletes & coaches that are affected," says Love.
In dropping the three sports, it is now more feasible for ASU to sponsor 20 varsity teams & keep in line with other major institutions around the country. The establishment of a 20-team varsity sport program will allow the department to realize a reduction in expenses that will total approx. of $1 million annually.
"With a dedicated effort to a successful 20-sport varsity program in mind," says Love, "these 3 sports were selected with the following criteria: financial impact, potential competitive success, conference/regional support & gender equity. Our revenue trajectory has been positive, however, our ongoing financial challenges have been well documented by the media. The decision to discontinue sport programs is a last resort, yet necessary."
"These moves are extremely painful," says Love. "We have arrived at the realization that funding a 20 sport program is a better fit for our financial profile & will serve to secure & strengthen our future. It is our responsibility to operate a fiscally prudent varsity athletics program. The costs of doing business are escalating daily & the costs of maintaining excellence even more so."
"The action is in no way meant to diminish the dedication, effort or ability of these student-athletes, coaches & alumni. They have contributed greatly to Arizona State University athletics & to the vitality & history of the University," Love says.