William & Mary to cut seven athletic programs following 2020-21 school year due to pandemic
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (BVM) — Many athletic programs have faced dire situations during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ever-increasing financial difficulties associated with it. The College of William & Mary was not spared during this time either as the school announced that it would be forced to discontinue seven athletic programs following the 2020-21 school year. The programs that will be eliminated will be men’s and women’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s indoor and outdoor track and field and volleyball and they will officially discontinue in June 2021.
“The costs associated with operating a department that sponsors 23 varsity teams – and what is now required for them to excel at a high level – have grown dramatically over time. These have become unsustainable. The pandemic has made these budget constraints acute and has brought us to a point of reckoning,” William & Mary President Katherine Rowe, Provost Peggy Agouris and Director of Athletics Samantha Huge wrote in an open letter to the school.
There will be 118 student-athletes and 13 coaches directly impacted by the decision. Scholarships for the student-athletes affected will be honored by the university and all student-athletes who choose to stay on their team’s roster for the upcoming season will continue to have access to the full complement of academic, medical, performance and coaching services. School officials also announced student-athletes who wish to transfer to other institutions to complete their college athletics eligibility will be fully supported by the school.
Though school officials understand that this needs to be done in order to maintain the school’s financial stability, they also understand that the situation is unfortunate for all involved.
“There is no good time to deliver such devastating news,” the letter said. “We decided to move forward with the announcement now to provide our student-athletes and coaches with as much time as possible to explore options in the coming months, should they elect to continue their collegiate athletics careers elsewhere. We are committed to a final season for these programs (pandemic permitting), as we believe that our student-athletes deserve it.”
With 16 athletic programs as of 2021-22, William & Mary projects to save up to $3.66 million annually once it honors current scholarships and coaching contracts. That money will go to reducing the athletic department’s deficit, according to the athletics department.
As a member of the Colonial Athletic Association, William & Mary’s current 23 varsity programs, is more than any other full-time CAA member despite having the smallest enrollment of undergraduate students. With the discontinuation of its programs, William & Mary is at least the 24th Division I school to cut one or more programs since the COVID-19 outbreak in March.
While it is clear the decision had to be made in order to alleviate the financial burden the university is facing, it will have a substantial impact on both students and the William & Mary community. With more than 5,000 alumni participating in the seven programs over their history and countless parents, fans and supporters also being directly impacted by the decision, it is certainly a loss for Tribe fans. While the COVID-19 pandemic still has a hold on the country, it remains to be seen if more universities will face similar challenges in the coming months.
