The students of Temple University were hit with some shocking news as the fall semester came to a close. On December 6, 2013, the University announced that it would be cutting seven of its Division 1 sports teams effective July 1, 2014. Apparently, this has been a topic of discussion for months.
Athletics dropped the bomb in the midst of final exam preparations. Could you imagine focusing on finals when you have just found out that you will have to find another school to attend after this year? Or worse – that you may not be able to compete in your sport on a division 1 level anymore? These issues among other things were probably some of the thoughts going through student athletes’ heads as they sat in that big room surrounded by their teammates – some in tears, some outraged, and others at a loss for words.
The sports teams affected by the decision are: Men’s Crew, Men’s Gymnastics, Men’s Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field, Baseball, Softball, and Women’s Rowing. This means that 150 students and nine coaches were left without a place to exude their talents for the 2014-2015 season. On Monday, University President Neil Theobald announced that Temple will reinstate its men’s crew and women’s rowing programs. However, the other five programs are still cut starting in July of this year.
Why would Temple cut five athletic programs? Good question.
According to Director of Athletics Kevin Clark, there just simply are not enough funds to support 24 varsity teams. There also are not enough funds to equally equip them all with top notch facilities and staff in order to ensure the best collegiate athletic experience and performance. In other words, now that the University has made the decision to cut seven teams, it can now invest more money into the remaining sports to make sure those athletes get the best academic support, scholarships, facilities and staff.
In the case of Temple University Track and Field, the women’s team will remain, while the men’s team will no longer compete. Freshman jumper, Thomas Johnson, was in utter disbelief when he first heard the news.
“I should have seen it coming,” said Johnson. “Someone contacted me during the first week of school and said that he knew someone on the board of trustees and that they were thinking about cutting the track team. I thought, ‘Nah, there’s no way that could happen. We would have known about this. The coaches wouldn’t have recruited us if that were the case,’” Johnson expounded.
The jumper turned down a number of schools and chose Temple because of the great team atmosphere and the excellent coaching staff. Johnson said he plans to finish the year off strong and will transfer to another university for the fall semester.
Although the Women’s Track and Field team was not terminated, they still had some words for the university in regards to losing their other half. Teammates Jamila Janneh, Courtney Mitchell, and Demeshia Davis believe that there were others ways that Temple could have made up for their lack of funds for all 24 varsity sports teams.
“No one even knew what the meeting was about,” Jumper Jamila Janneh said.
“It was even worse that the coaches found out at the same time as we did. The campus atmosphere was different,” said Sprinter Demeshia Davis, “we all met up with each other after we heard the news to talk about it more and almost everyone was crying.”
When asked about their male counter parts, sprinter Courtney Mitchell said that it will be weird competing with only a women’s team. “Our team is very close knit,” the girls agreed.
“The guys balance us out,” Davis explained referring to one of the trio’s closest friends on the Men’s Track and Field team, sophomore jumper Jamal Williams.
Janneh, a Student Athletic Council representative shared that she’s noticed that representatives from teams that have been cut abstain from attending meetings and are not interested in participating in the council’s events.
“It sucks. People are still upset about it. The head of the Student Athletic Council did tear up when talking about it the other day. They cut a lot of successful teams. For example, the men’s gymnastics team and the softball team were both leading in the division,” Janneh said.
Davis wonders how the administration, professors and faculty would feel if they were fired from their positions. She compared the student athletes’ experience with adults losing their jobs because for them, competing in their sport is how they pay their tuition; it is a job.
“In the long run, the university will realize they have made a mistake,” she says.
“They continue to say that the decision will benefit us all, but none of us feel that it will,” said Mitchell.
So what will become of those student’s whose sports teams will not be returning for the 2014-2015 school year? According to Temple University News Center, the university has stated that they will continue to honor scholarships of student athletes who remain academically eligible. They will also assist in helping students transfer credits and scholarships for those who wish to compete at another college or university.
With remarkable talent and passion comes resilience. Hopefully, the athletes and coaches affected will all make smooth transitions.
Photos: Metro