The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh announced today that it will reduce the number of its intercollegiate athletic programs by two, effective after the 2015-16 academic year. The action will mean a more financially sustainable experience for its remaining student-athletes, and realigns UW Oshkosh with the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) and with Title IX guidelines regarding gender balance in sports.
Affected by the action are the men’s soccer and men’s tennis teams; both men’s and women’s track & field and men’s and women’s cross country will also be combined under a restructured coaching staff. The action brings UW Oshkosh’s total from 21 to 19 varsity sports and will result in the loss of two coaching positions.
The decision is being announced now to give student-athletes as much time as possible to consider their options and plan their next steps. Both sports will play their full 2015-16 seasons. In total, there are approximately 35 students in the two sports directly impacted by the decision.
“With a significant budget reduction being anticipated from the state, it makes sense to look at the portfolio of programs being offered and decide what still makes sense for UWO,” UW Oshkosh Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Darryl Sims said. “We owe it to our students to provide a high-quality and positive competitive experience. As costs rise and budgets shrink that becomes more difficult therefore we need to look at what we offer with a critical eye.”
The criteria used in defining the effected programs included the level of achievement the student-athletes can attain and the need to better align the full array of programs with guidelines set in Title IX. The Title IX statute is designed to prevent discrimination based on gender and over the years has evolved to include guidelines around appropriate gender balance on the roster of all programs offered.
“We looked at whether the sport had a conference championship to participate in and if it was an automatic qualifier in the WIAC conference, among other criteria,” Sims said. “If we offer a varsity sport, we want to make sure the experience is optimal for the student-athlete, and if not then we need to decide if the funds to operate it are better leveraged in other programs.”
UW Oshkosh is committed to the success of all student-athletes and believes in providing a competitive and rewarding experience. This decision is a result of an analysis done in 2010 on the Athletics department structure in addition to a financial audit in 2014. With rising operating costs and a tighter budget, UW Oshkosh can provide a better experience for the remaining sports by reducing the programs in the array of offerings.
“This is the hardest decision I’ve had to make as the athletic director,” Sims said. “It affects the lives our student-athletes, the impacted coaches and the whole athletics department.”
While the institution is still working through the state budget process, making responsible cost-saving decisions now is the right thing to do. It is possible additional sports could be considered for elimination the second year of the state budget.
“UW Oshkosh’s athletics program is a critical piece of the University,” UW Oshkosh Chancellor Andrew Leavitt said. “This is an extremely difficult decision, but it is being done in the best long-term interests of our student-athletes.”
An open forum is scheduled for the campus community and the general public on Wednesday, April 8 at 12 p.m. in Reeve Union room 307.