Question EMU faces: Will it cut sports?
BY JIM CARTY
Craig Willis did a good job of walking a fine line Tuesday.
On one hand, the interim president sent a clear message that there is no immediate threat of Eastern Michigan University cutting sports this summer despite a cash crunch.
But Willis also is aware that in 10 weeks Eastern’s new permanent president takes over and might have other plans.
“I’m not prepared to drop any sports at this point, “Willis said during a phone interview. “I don’t find it necessary. That’s not to say it couldn’t happen in the near future. But as of right now, it’s not happening.”
Hours later, however, the school’s board of regents issued a press release announcing an ad hoc athletic affairs advisory committee.
Why form the committee now? At least in part because of “ongoing financial challenges the university faces, “vice chair Karen Valvo said in a press release.
The suggestion those challenges could lead to sports being cut already has caused a stir at Eastern Michigan.
A gymnastics recruit called the Eastern Michigan sports information office wanting to know if she should consider other schools.
A member of the women’s golf team e-mailed the paper asking if cuts were a fait accompli.
Retired track coach Bob Parks sent an e-mail to some former athletes, warning them the program was in danger – even though no one’s suggesting cutting track; men’s and women’s golf, women’s gymnastics and crew and wrestling all would be more likely candidates to go.
For now, everybody is safe. Willis said Eastern Michigan will cover the current shortfall in the athletics budget from the general fund.
As for the coming academic year, the main plan appears to be hope.
State funding or enrollment could be unexpectedly higher, increases in tuition or attendance also could increase revenues.
But what if those things don’t happen and current projections of lower state funding and small increases in the other areas all turn out to be accurate?
“We will have a problem, as will most other Michigan universities, “Willis said. “But I can’t give you chapter and verse for what we’ll need to cut, if anything, at that point.”
Obviously a lot will ride on what the new president, John Fallon, thinks.
Eastern Michigan currently fields 21 sports programs, more than any other school in the Mid-American Conference. Its chief rivals – Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Toledo – have trimmed their athletics departments to 16 sports, at least in part because of budgetary pressures.
Will Fallon think it makes sense to keep supporting a 21-sport commitment when Eastern is laying off staff and raising tuition? Would he believe the university would be better off with 16 well-funded sports instead of 21 sports that are underfunded compared to their competition?
Either way, he’s going to have to make a decision and a case for that decision.
On the one side will be athletes, coaches and parents trying to save their programs; on the other, faculty and students asking why they have to get by with less while Eastern funds more sports than any other MAC school.
Willis has bought some time.
But unless the economic picture changes radically, this isn’t an issue that’s going away.
Jim Carty can be reached at [email protected]
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