Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Cutting costs without cutting sports

In the wake of the Quinnipiac case, in which it seemed that the university somewhat spitefully cut men's track and field when it was told it had to retain women's volleyball, at least temporarily, in order to work out some Title IX issues, it is a good time to note that budgets cuts do not have to equal cutting teams.
In recent meetings held by the Pac-10, the conference is looking to cut costs by trimming a certain amount of fat in the form of hotels for players before home games and limiting the number of players and support staff travelling to away games.
And this article out of New York about local DI schools Hofstra and SUNY Stony Brook speaks of the various measures these schools are taking to deal with their budgets shortfalls while remaining competitive, remaining Title IX compliant (Stony Brook is adding scholarships, in fact), and keeping all their teams. These schools are looking for schools closer to home to add to their schedules. They are seeking tournaments that do not require extensive travel. Such plans to limit travel could also have the added bonus of helping student-athletes balance their schoolwork with their athletics.