Stanford Cuts 11 Sports [1/3 of Programs] to Save Money

Power Five school Stanford, to the devastation of many student athletes, has just announced that it will drop 11 different sports in an effort to combat financial loss. This will go into effect after the 2020-21 season. The programs being cut include field hockey, wrestling, men’s volleyball, men’s and women’s fencing, lightweight rowing, men’s rowing, co-ed and women’s sailing, squash, and synchronized swimming. This amounts to nearly a third of the university’s sports programs. 20 support staff positions will also be cut.

President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, Provost Persis Drell and Director of Athletics Bernard Muir said that this decision was “heartbreaking,” but necessary. They also wrote: “We felt it was imperative to confront the financial challenge before it worsened, to undertake a deliberate and collaborative decision-making process with our Board of Trustees and campus leadership, and to exhaust all alternatives before making profound changes in our programs, especially during this difficult time.”

All existing athletics scholarships will be honored.