The Terrapins men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are the probable first casualties of the athletics department’s budget crunch, but other programs may be in danger, as well.
The water polo team has been told it will likely be cut, according to several sources with knowledge of the situation. In total, eight to 10 programs could be eliminated as the department looks to remedy its mounting debt crisis.
“Hard decisions have to be made, and that decision fell under my watch,” University President Wallace Loh said yesterday at his State of the Campus address. “I will make them in a fair way according to careful considerations of all the issues and after listening to all the affected parties.”
The financial considerations are obvious. The university supports a combined 32.9 scholarships between the fully funded swimming and diving and water polo programs, and their expenses for the most recent fiscal year totaled nearly $300,000, according to data provided to the U.S. Department of Education.
Faced with slumping donations, reduced ticket sales and a rising budget shortfall in the athletics department, Loh charged a university commission with investigating and solving the department’s financial woes. For many, the prospect of downsizing the university’s offering of varsity sports is a sad reality.
“For many years, [athletics directors] saw sports as being part of the overall opportunities that were presented at any university to enhance the education,” said Bob Groseth, the executive director the College Swimming Coaches Association of America. “I think that now, you’ve got a lot of people coming into those positions who are bottom-line, business-oriented people. … Their conclusion is that [nonrevenue sports] don’t have value. That’s why I think that rather than seeking other solutions, maintaining programs, it’s easier for them to eliminate them.”
When Loh first examined the athletics department’s budget as university president, he said it appeared to be balanced.
However, the department’s figures proved largely irrelevant, having been reached only after borrowing from existing reserves.
“At some point, your savings will be depleted,” Loh said. “We can no longer delay taking action, and that’s why I formed the commission … to look into it and to propose recommendations to raise revenue and reduce costs. I made it very clear that the welfare of our student-athletes is our No. 1 priority.”
The commission is due to submit its final report to Loh on Tuesday, at which point he will consider all options.
Athletic Director Kevin Anderson told the swimming and diving and water polo teams to hold letters-of-intent from prospective recruits, clouding the programs’ future until they know whether they have one.
“It’s certainly a sad day for swimming,” Groseth said. “But when you consider that they’re considering eight to 10 programs, that’s a sad day for athletics.”
schneider@umdbk.com
