The Univ. of Minnesota’s Board of Regents voted 7-5 Friday "in favor of eliminating three men’s sports programs -- gymnastics, tennis and indoor track and field -- at the end of the academic year," but outdoor track and field "will remain after being taken off the chopping block moments before the meeting." Minnesota AD Mark Coyle has said that the reasons for the cuts were to "help the school become more Title IX compliant and to help lessen a revenue shortfall due to the downsizing of schedules, particularly in football, amid the coronavirus pandemic." Coyle said that, compared to the original proposal last month, the "cost savings dropped" from $2M to $1.6M, and the number of affected student-athletes "decreased from 58 to 34." Minnesota President Joan Gabel said that the school was “'very sadly' proposing the cuts, while acknowledging 'significant feedback'" from the school community (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 10/10).
USA TODAY's Jay Cannon writes the pandemic has "shaken the college sports scene to its core, dealing an emotional blow to athletes as they're forced to stay on their toes about the status of their careers" (10/11).
