SFA cutting golf, bowling, beach volleyball

[MooseLodge]

With the dramatically-increasing cost of fielding FCS football and D1 basketball, we are going to see a lot more of this. Perhaps D2's day in the sun could be approaching. Schools like SFA - in the barely-hanging-on category, are going to be forced to whittle down to just a few athletic teams to keep football and basketball going.

These financial pressures are markedly less in the D2 world, meaning schools such as WT, ASU, Midwestern, and Kingsville can continue offering a variety of sports, including football.

I potentially see a day where we have a Texas conference with D1 sports in everything except football, which will be non-scholarship. D1 football - even FCS - is a massive cash drain with comparatively little income. Look at the empty stadiums of these FCS programs this fall on ESPN+. That business model can't keep up in the new era of schools compensating athletes.

[Rockofwesties]

WT went through this in 80s in an attempt to stay D1. I’m not sure what all sports were cut but I think it was bowling and tennis. Eventually the financial strain resulted in not only D2 but loss of football.

[MooseLodge]

WT went through this in 80s in an attempt to stay D1. I’m not sure what all sports were cut but I think it was bowling and tennis. Eventually the financial strain resulted in not only D2 but loss of football.

By 1985, football was consuming most of the budget. All of the sports were shoestring D1 at that point, but the non-football sports were really hurting. Bob Schneider won because of his local reputation. But they certainly were not competitive nationally whatsoever. Volleyball would only win a few games a year. They cut track and golf, as well as baseball and softball I believe. It got down to just 4 sports if I recall correctly. Still couldn't make ends meet. They were running several $ million a year in athletic deficits. Then in 1988-ish, the program was completely insolvent.

This is the ultimate outcome when you don't have true community support for D1. It takes more than student fees to fund it. Much more.

I know of people that are supposed big WT supporters yelling for D1 that don't even buy season tickets. Sold out arenas and stadiums with season tickets are one of the first bars you have to cross. Doesn't matter the record. You have to demonstrate some baseline level of support, and WT fans overall do not do that. If you can't even sell out a 8500 seat stadium with $100 season tickets, you're not going FCS.

[Buffalo/Islander Alum]

By 1985, football was consuming most of the budget. All of the sports were shoestring D1 at that point, but the non-football sports were really hurting. Bob Schneider won because of his local reputation. But they certainly were not competitive nationally whatsoever. Volleyball would only win a few games a year. They cut track and golf, as well as baseball and softball I believe. It got down to just 4 sports if I recall correctly. Still couldn't make ends meet. They were running several $ million a year in athletic deficits. Then in 1988-ish, the program was completely insolvent.

This is the ultimate outcome when you don't have true community support for D1. It takes more than student fees to fund it. Much more.

I know of people that are supposed big WT supporters yelling for D1 that don't even buy season tickets. Sold out arenas and stadiums with season tickets are one of the first bars you have to cross. Doesn't matter the record. You have to demonstrate some baseline level of support, and WT fans overall do not do that. If you can't even sell out a 8500 seat stadium with $100 season tickets, you're not going FCS.

First step to that is putting a competitive playoff product out there and that hasnt happened in 11 years and counting.

[MooseLodge]

First step to that is putting a competitive playoff product out there and that hasnt happened in 11 years and counting.

Yeah that's conditional support. 8500 is nothing. If there's not community support to sell out 8500, you got nothing.