More on the Rutgers crew status: according to a couple sources, the Rutgers heavy and light rowing squads will become club sports after the 2006-2007 seasons. It is not yet clear what this means to funding, racing schedule, or other issues.
On a positive note, several people close to the situation have expressed reasons for optimism since the initial shock of the Friday announcement, and an organized effort is coming together; however, any attempt to rescue the programs through private fundraising may face difficulties due to Title IX issues, according to Rutgers AD Robert Mulcahy, who told the Star-Ledger that "It's very difficult because if you raise the money to bring back a men's sport, then because of Title IX we would also have to raise the money to bring back another women's sport to keep the scholarships even." row2k will have more information on this effort once I have a chance to talk to a few different folks over the weekend.
Meanwhile, here is the letter that was sent to all affected student-athletes by Rutgers athletic director Robert Mulcahy:
July 14, 2006
"First_Name" "Last_Name"
"Street_Address"
"City" "State" "Zip_Code"
Dear "First_Name":
Over the last several months, the State has been grappling with significant budget cuts that, if implemented, would ultimately affect Rutgers University. Throughout that period, the university aggressively advocated for restoration of funding, while preparing for potential reductions.
We now know that Rutgers faces a severe fiscal shortfall in the wake of the recently adopted state budget, which significantly reduced funding for higher education and left Rutgers with an unprecedented shortfall of approximately $80 million. All areas of the university are affected, including the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. Every division throughout the university was asked to thoroughly evaluate its programs and to take whatever actions necessary to efficiently maximize resources.
In recent years it became increasingly apparent that as resources grew tighter it would be difficult to support a program of our size, one of the few among the NCAA's 119 Division I-A institutions to sponsor 30 sports or more, and still provide every participant the appropriate student-athlete experience. During that time we instituted a number of initiatives to continue to field teams in all 30 sports, including the establishment of a tier system for our sports programs (Level I, Level II), and the subsequent, and necessary, reduction of resources to Level II sports.
Now, faced with this latest shortfall, we have no choice but to take further action. As this process has evolved, we considered several factors in relation to each of our 30 intercollegiate sports including, but not limited to, our BIG EAST Conference affiliation, available resources, facilities, fund raising, competitiveness and the guidelines of Title IX. As a result of this review the university has decided to eliminate the following sports from the intercollegiate athletics program at the conclusion of the 2006/2007 season:
Men's heavyweight crew
Men's lightweight crew
Men's fencing
Women's fencing
Men's swimming and diving
Men's tennis
Given the timing of this decision, rather than cancel the upcoming seasons altogether, we have opted to continue these six sports through the conclusion of the 2006/2007 season. This will allow you to compete in your sport this coming season as you consider your future, academically and athletically.
There are three items I would like to clarify immediately.
1. If you are currently receiving athletic scholarship funding, we will honor that funding at its present level for up to four years from your initial collegiate enrollment or until graduation (which ever occurs first) based upon your adhering to the guidelines set forth in the athletic scholarship agreement you are required to sign annually;
2. It is anticipated that many of the sports being eliminated will be continued in the Rutgers Recreation Department's club sports program. We are working in conjunction with the Rutgers Recreation Department to ensure a smooth transition where applicable, and to continue to work toward development of programs in the Recreation Department that are not presently available;
3. Athletic Department representatives are available to answer any other questions you might have. I have included a list of Athletic Department administrators and their phone numbers for your information. Please contact them if you have any questions.
So that you can grasp the magnitude of the university's reductions, I have included a copy of the announcement that was released following this morning's Board of Governors meeting, where the university's course of action in reaction to the budget shortfall was announced.
Please understand that these decisions are taken very seriously and are made with a great deal of thought and introspection. However, we cannot continue to meet the missions of the university and the Athletic Department without the necessary resources.
I deeply regret having to take these actions. You are a valuable member of our athletic and university community. There are no easy answers, and I am sorry this had to happen during your tenure as a student athlete at Rutgers University.
The athletics division and university administration will work to make this transition period as smooth as possible for you and your teammates.
Sincerely
Robert E. Mulcahy III