ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- Citing budget shortfalls and a changing mission and vision in the athletic department, St. Cloud State University (SCSU) announced earlier this month that it is eliminating a number of intercollegiate athletic programs.
The programs cut will be men's and women's tennis, women's Nordic skiing, men's indoor and outdoor track and field, and men's cross country. SCSU athletic director Heather Weems made the announcement at a departmental meeting Wednesday morning. The move drops the number of intercollegiate sports at SCSU from 23 to 17.
The cuts are effective at the end of the 2015-16 school year. In addition to the cuts, a major roster management program will be implemented to help the university achieve and maintain Title IX compliance. The roster management plan will require increases in many women's programs while mandating roster reductions in four men's programs (baseball, football, swimming and diving, and wrestling).
Athletes El O’Brien and Abby Kantor play on the women’s tennis team. O’Brien said members of the team will file a complaint with the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. Thursday, nearly 100 students and athletes signed a petition to keep the programs.
Athletic Director Heather Weems said the university will follow up on any complaint filed at a government agency. She added the petition and the complaint won't necessarily change the outcome. O’Brien and other athletes say they have nothing to lose.