Chip: Don't want Gophers to cut sports? Then buckle up for big changes

[BleedGopher]

per Chip:

Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle can’t talk about the effect of COVID-19 on his department’s financial health in concrete terms because he can’t see the finish line. He just knows things will be painful.

Best-case scenario is a $14 million projected loss in revenue in 2020-21. The “moderate” scenario calculates a loss of $30 million if sports return in the fall without fans, or if there is a shortened season.

Rhonda McFarland, chief financial officer of Gophers athletics, didn’t sugarcoat that scenario Friday when addressing the Board of Regents.

“There are only a handful of athletic departments that could manage a $30 million loss,” McFarland said.

Minnesota isn’t one of them.

They, like just about every other FBS school, desperately need a fall football season with fans in the stands. The “or else” part is a path ADs would rather not explore.

Asked Friday if his senior staff has had much discussion on whether the department can continue to support 25 sports considering revenue losses, Coyle didn’t say yes or no. He emphasized the success of his broad-based program but left the door open to any possibility.

“There’s no doubt that everything is on the table,” Coyle said.

Don't want Gophers to cut sports? Then buckle up for big changes

www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Chip is enjoying wearing a black cowl whilst wielding a scythe a little too much.

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

Chip is enjoying wearing a black cowl whilst wielding a scythe a little too much.

Outside of Sid, Strib columnists have a long tradition of being Grim Reaper like when it comes to Gopher athletics!

 

[MplsGopher]

I doubt it would save a ton of money, but these would be the "easiest" cuts:

- both gymnastics teams (relatively low sponsorship in the Big Ten, for both genders)
- men's golf, tennis, and swimming (keep the women's teams)

This makes it so that the facilities the U has or is building (golf practice facility) won't go to waste, with the women's teams still there, and also boosts title IX numbers as well.


The men's teams are converted to club teams. Current student-athletes with scholarships are allowed to keep their scholarships to finish out their academic careers here, if they choose.

 

[Some guy]

I doubt it would save a ton of money, but these would be the "easiest" cuts:

- both gymnastics teams (relatively low sponsorship in the Big Ten, for both genders)
- men's golf, tennis, and swimming (keep the women's teams)

This makes it so that the facilities the U has or is building (golf practice facility) won't go to waste, with the women's teams still there, and also boosts title IX numbers as well.


The men's teams are converted to club teams. Current student-athletes with scholarships are allowed to keep their scholarships to finish out their academic careers here, if they choose.

If the department is currently in title 9 compliance, wouldn’t Cutting 3 men’s sports and 0 women’s sports mean they’re no longer in compliance?

 

[MplsGopher]

If the department is currently in title 9 compliance, wouldn’t Cutting 3 men’s sports and 0 women’s sports mean they’re no longer in compliance?

I guess anything is technically legally possible, but I've never heard of a school being sanctioned or sued for violating title IX because it had too few men's teams. The law was created to boost the number of women's teams.

Would guess, because of football, we currently still have more men's varsity athletes participating than women's, even though the student body is probably >50% women.

 

[Some guy]

I guess anything is technically legally possible, but I've never heard of a school being sanctioned or sued for violating title IX because it had too few men's teams. The law was created to boost the number of women's teams.

While you’re right about the intent, I would bet they will stay in compliance

 

[MplsGopher]

While you’re right about the intent, I would bet they will stay in compliance

I don't agree that the cuts I suggested above would cause them to come out of compliance.

Would bet that almost no schools in DI are exactly on, in terms of what their men's/women's athlete participation % are relative to their student body gender %. So it's just a matter of showing "enough" effort to be "close enough" in that regard, and possible also a mixture of the other two parts.

Here is the official compliance test language (the so called "three-part test"):

"
An institution is in compliance with the three-part test if it meets any one of the following parts of the test:
(1) The number of male and female athletes is substantially proportionate to their respective enrollments; or
(2) The institution has a history and continuing practice of expanding participation opportunities responsive to the developing interests and abilities of the underrepresented sex; or
(3) The institution is fully and effectively accommodating the interests and abilities of the underrepresented sex.
"
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/title9-qa-20100420.html

 

[Word]

I guess anything is technically legally possible, but I've never heard of a school being sanctioned or sued for violating title IX because it had too few men's teams. The law was created to boost the number of women's teams.

Would guess, because of football, we currently still have more men's varsity athletes participating than women's, even though the student body is probably >50% women.

University of North Dakota just a few years ago cut men's and women's swimming, women's hockey, and men's baseball and golf.

I think if you cut sports, you would do it equitably.

I could see the U cutting both men's and women's gymnastics, track/cross country, tennis, or golf. I'm not saying they'd cut all of them, but those to me would be the candidates.

 

[MplsGopher]

University of North Dakota just a few years ago cut men's and women's swimming, women's hockey, and men's baseball and golf.

I think if you cut sports, you would do it equitably.

I could see the U cutting both men's and women's gymnastics, track/cross country, tennis, or golf. I'm not saying they'd cut all of them, but those to me would be the candidates.

Cutting both genders means you waste multi-million dollar facilities, in most cases.

Les Bolstad, I suppse you could sell. But they just built or are building a golf practice facility. You have the big aquatic center. They just built a new track. You have the indoor/outdoor tennis center.

I don't think that's going to be on the table.

Gymnastics wouldn't be wasting any facilities, since they use the Pav. It's a bit of a fringe sport, relatively low sponsorship in the Big Ten. Sorry, but it should be the first to go.


Golf and tennis are popular enough, I suppose you could sell off those facilities to private operators. If that can be worked out, then I would support eliminating both the M/W teams in tennis and golf.

If you're a young Minn amatuer who has a legit shot at going pro in those sports, likely you're moving to Florida or California to train year round anyway.

 

[#2Gopher]

While you’re right about the intent, I would bet they will stay in compliance

I agree. They need to stay in compliance. We live in a sue crazy nation now as someone will sue.
Kind of like the girls state hockey tournament. They could easily use Ridder arena to satisfy the numbers, but some parents sued the state high school association so now they have to use the Xcel center as that's where the boys play.

 

[Word]

Cutting both genders means you waste multi-million dollar facilities, in most cases.

Les Bolstad, I suppse you could sell. But they just built or are building a golf practice facility. You have the big aquatic center. They just built a new track. You have the indoor/outdoor tennis center.

I don't think that's going to be on the table.

Gymnastics wouldn't be wasting any facilities, since they use the Pav. It's a bit of a fringe sport, relatively low sponsorship in the Big Ten. Sorry, but it should be the first to go.


Golf and tennis are popular enough, I suppose you could sell off those facilities to private operators. If that can be worked out, then I would support eliminating both the M/W teams in tennis and golf.

If you're a young Minn amatuer who has a legit shot at going pro in those sports, likely you're moving to Florida or California to train year round anyway.

I agree gymnastics would be first to go, then track/cross country, then golf, then tennis.

The tennis facility is great. I play USTA matches there. I bet they could sell it or rent it out without losing any money (actually would probably make money). I would probably be a little more attached to Gopher tennis if almost every single player wasn't from outside the US. There's very little local flavor to our tennis teams, largely due to Minnesota not producing many top-end tennis players.

 

[MplsGopher]

I agree gymnastics would be first to go, then track/cross country, then golf, then tennis.

The tennis facility is great. I play USTA matches there. I bet they could sell it or rent it out without losing any money (actually would probably make money). I would probably be a little more attached to Gopher tennis if almost every single player wasn't from outside the US. There's very little local flavor to our tennis teams, largely due to Minnesota not producing many top-end tennis players.

I don't know much about the sport, but I wonder how these perinnial state tennis champions from the "rich schools" like Blake, Edina, etc. compare to amateurs nationally.

Again I feel like if you have a chance to turn pro in tennis you're moving to Florida, California or somewhere like that to train year round with a pro coach. Someone "in the know" on how tennis works, please feel free to correct me. Maybe MN talent does stay home and trains year round indoors? Would not be able to name a single tennis pro from the state, past or present.


I think track would be one of the last olympic sports cut, along with swimming. They have big, expensive facilities that I don't think would have much of any demand other than perhaps the high-school state meets. Could be wrong.

 

[Word]

I don't know much about the sport, but I wonder how these perinnial state tennis champions from the "rich schools" like Blake, Edina, etc. compare to amateurs nationally.

Again I feel like if you have a chance to turn pro in tennis you're moving to Florida, California or somewhere like that to train year round with a pro coach. Someone "in the know" on how tennis works, please feel free to correct me. Maybe MN talent does stay home and trains year round indoors? Would not be able to name a single tennis pro from the state, past or present.


I think track would be one of the last olympic sports cut, along with swimming. They have big, expensive facilities that I don't think would have much of any demand other than perhaps the high-school state meets. Could be wrong.

Minnesota produces mostly D2 or D3 tennis players (or low level D1).

 

[MplsGopher]

Minnesota produces mostly D2 or D3 tennis players (or low level D1).

Well I was asking about amateurs who turn pro. Not those who go to college.

Correct me please, but I feel like college tennis players are those who are only good enough to play in college, and leverage that skill into the opportunity to keep playing at a high-ish level and maybe even earn a scholarship. If you're good enough to turn pro, you do that, you don't waste time in college.

Maybe same for golf?

 

[Word]

Well I was asking about amateurs who turn pro. Not those who go to college.

Correct me please, but I feel like college tennis players are those who are only good enough to play in college, and leverage that skill into the opportunity to keep playing at a high-ish level and maybe even earn a scholarship. If you're good enough to turn pro, you do that, you don't waste time in college.

Maybe same for golf?

You have to be incredibly elite to go straight to pros in tennis, even if you're from Florida or California.

 

[Some guy]

I agree. They need to stay in compliance. We live in a sue crazy nation now as someone will sue.
Kind of like the girls state hockey tournament. They could easily use Ridder arena to satisfy the numbers, but some parents sued the state high school association so now they have to use the Xcel center as that's where the boys play.

Correct. In fact, some girls hockey coaches I know think Ridder would be a better environment because it’d be full.

One reason ridder actually isn’t a great option is because the rental fee on u of m facilities is so high

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Cutting both genders means you waste multi-million dollar facilities, in most cases.

Les Bolstad, I suppse you could sell. But they just built or are building a golf practice facility. You have the big aquatic center. They just built a new track. You have the indoor/outdoor tennis center.

I don't think that's going to be on the table.

A minor point:
The Les Bolstad golf course is not associated with the athletics department it is part of the Recreation and Wellness department. Golf plays off campus.

 

[MplsGopher]

Thank you for that correction.

 

[pk2]

I realize this post isn’t about Gophers football, but someone asked in this thread about tennis players, so...

Three Minnesota-born tennis players who have had professional success:

David Wheaton, won MSHSL boys tennis championship as a frosh, still writes a few columns per year for the StarTribune, career earnings $5,238,401

David Wheaton | Overview | ATP Tour | Tennis

Official tennis player profile of David Wheaton on the ATP Tour. Featuring news, bio, rankings, playing activity, coach, stats, win-loss, points breakdown, videos, and more.

www.atptour.com

Mardy Fish, born in Edina, moved to Florida for high school, career earnings $7,460,641

Mardy Fish | Overview | ATP Tour | Tennis

Official tennis player profile of Mardy Fish on the ATP Tour. Featuring news, bio, rankings, playing activity, coach, stats, win-loss, points breakdown, videos, and more.

www.atptour.com

Bethanie Mattek-Sands, born in Rochester, has won five Grand Slam doubles titles, four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, an Olympic gold medal in mixed doubles, is still playing competitively, enrolled in Harvard Business School in fall of 2019, career earnings $7,796,822

Bethanie Mattek-Sands | Player Stats & More – WTA Official

Get the latest Player Stats on Bethanie Mattek-Sands including her videos, highlights, and more at the official Women's Tennis Association website.

www.wtatennis.com

None of these three played for the Gophers, but if I’m not mistaken, they still consider themselves Minnesotans.

 

[gregbrady]

I doubt it would save a ton of money, but these would be the "easiest" cuts:

- both gymnastics teams (relatively low sponsorship in the Big Ten, for both genders)
- men's golf, tennis, and swimming (keep the women's teams)

This makes it so that the facilities the U has or is building (golf practice facility) won't go to waste, with the women's teams still there, and also boosts title IX numbers as well.


The men's teams are converted to club teams. Current student-athletes with scholarships are allowed to keep their scholarships to finish out their academic careers here, if they choose.

Didn't some of these teams raise a bunch of money to endow parts of their programs when they tried to cut them years ago? Wouldn't that make it difficult to cut them?