Austin’s St. Edward’s University has announced that it will permanently close six of its 16 athletic programs, owing to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the university’s finances.
At the end of the spring semester, the university will discontinue men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s soccer. The cheer team will be transitioned to a club team.
In a statement, the university’s athletic department explained, “As the effects of the coronavirus continue to impact every sector of the economy, higher education is no exception. Along with other universities across the country, St. Edward’s is making difficult, but financially sound decisions for the future of our institution.”
Associate Vice President for Athletics Debbie Taylor said that she would work closely with coaches, staff members, and student-athletes affected by the changes.
The statement says that all scholarship athletes impacted by this change will have their athletic scholarships honored for the duration of their undergraduate enrollment, while those wishing to transfer and compete at another institution will be given “full and immediate release.”
According to Taylor, the decision to close the programs came after a “comprehensive evaluation of the athletics program including sport sponsorship, state of available facilities, cost of running programs and future enrollment expectations.”
The closure of the six programs will allow the university to redistribute more financial resources to other sports, including men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track, women’s soccer, volleyball, baseball, softball and “e-sports.”
The statement concludes, “With these remaining teams, the university’s athletics program remains in compliance with NCAA DII and Lone Star Conference membership requirements of sport sponsorship. We continue our commitment to support gender equity in athletics and empowering student-athletes to reach their maximum potential in academic success, athletic competition and personal development.”
Located off South Congress in south Austin, St. Edward’s is a Catholic university with about 4,300 students.
