Question EMU faces: Will it cut sports?
BY JIM CARTY<\/p>\n
Craig Willis did a good job of walking a fine line Tuesday.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
But Willis also is aware that in 10 weeks Eastern’s new permanent president takes over and might have other plans.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Hours later, however, the school’s board of regents issued a press release announcing an ad hoc athletic affairs advisory committee.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The suggestion those challenges could lead to sports being cut already has caused a stir at Eastern Michigan.<\/p>\n
A gymnastics recruit called the Eastern Michigan sports information office wanting to know if she should consider other schools.<\/p>\n
A member of the women’s golf team e-mailed the paper asking if cuts were a fait accompli.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
For now, everybody is safe. Willis said Eastern Michigan will cover the current shortfall in the athletics budget from the general fund.<\/p>\n
As for the coming academic year, the main plan appears to be hope.<\/p>\n
State funding or enrollment could be unexpectedly higher, increases in tuition or attendance also could increase revenues.<\/p>\n
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?<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Obviously a lot will ride on what the new president, John Fallon, thinks.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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?<\/p>\n
Either way, he’s going to have to make a decision and a case for that decision.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Willis has bought some time.<\/p>\n
But unless the economic picture changes radically, this isn’t an issue that’s going away.<\/p>\n
Jim Carty can be reached at jcarty@annarbornews.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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