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Loyola Marymount University announced it will cut six varsity sports programs at the end of the 2023-24 season.
In Wednesday’s announcement, the university explained that the cuts are in response to the changing NCAA landscape and will allow the school to allocate more resources to its remaining athletic programs.
LMU currently has 20 intercollegiate athletics programs with more than 400 student-athletes, which school officials say is the most of any program in the West Coast Conference.
The following six sports will be canceled.
- men’s cross country
- Men’s rowing competition
- men’s track and field
- Women’s rowing competition
- women’s swimming
- women’s track and field
Following the news, some students told KTLA they were shocked, especially since they enrolled at LMU to join a sports team.
This surprising announcement caught LMU athlete Avery Doan completely off guard.
“Especially since our team has produced multiple All-Americans and professional athletes, coming out of left field,” said Doan, who is a member of the women’s cross country track team.
Doan’s team will be one of six college sports programs to be cut by the end of the season.
“The wording and answers I received from the athletic department were relatively vague, and I left the meeting where I learned the news unsatisfied with their answers,” she said.
Emily Varmas, a member of the rowing team, was similarly shocked when she heard her sport was in jeopardy.
“In that moment, people who have dedicated years and years of their lives to the sport and don’t know what life is about are being told that it’s being taken away from them,” Varmas said.
According to the university, “This decision is the result of a variety of changes that will impact the national university movement, from the emergence of name, image, and likeness (NIL) to changes to transfer rules and pending court decisions against students. It is the result of careful consideration of internal and external factors” – athletes as employees, etc. ”
The sudden move comes at a time when some sports are seeing big media deals, while sports that don’t make as much money face an uncertain future.
“Our mission is to support our students in pursuing the highest levels of athletic, academic and cultural success,” said LMU Athletic Director Craig Pintens. “While this decision is difficult, it will ensure that our department and the rest of Division I sports are best positioned for success.”
Several students said what the decision doesn’t recognize are the valuable relationships built over the years through teamwork, coaching and sportsmanship.
“What wasn’t factored into this decision was the fact that this wasn’t just the dismantling of the team,” said Anna Doherty, head of the women’s swimming team. “In fact, I feel like our family has been torn apart here.”
“Our student-athletes deserve answers, and I hope we get them in time,” said Georgia Guinan of the women’s rowing team. “Until that happens, we will continue to fight for our sport, our coaches and our team.”
However, despite the cuts, the university said it will continue to honor the affected students’ athletic scholarships and financial aid. The school will continue to offer club competition options to help students continue their athletic careers if they decide to transfer to another school.
“This is a difficult day for many in our community, especially our student-athletes and coaches in the affected sports,” Pintens said. “This decision is in no way a reflection of their commitment to their sport or to the university. We highly value these student-athletes and their coaches and salute their commitment and their accomplishments.”
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