Q Why these specific programs?
A In what was termed "An Open Letter to the University of Minnesota Athletics Community" and signed by University President Joan Gabel and Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle, the crux of the decision was spelled out pretty clearly: It was primarily about money and gender-equity, with other considerations mixed in.
"In addition to the financial challenges and gender-equity commitments, we also considered community impact, local and national interest, competitiveness, and sport sponsorship at the Big Ten and NCAA Division I level when making this decision," the open letter reads.
Notably on the gender-equity front, given that all the programs cut are men's sports, this was included in a question and answer section at the bottom of the letter: The cuts "will result in female and male participation numbers that closely align with our undergraduate campus enrollment percentages, which is approximately 54% female and 46% male."
Q How much money will this save the U, and why is that important?
A The Gophers say this will save them $2 million in fiscal year 2022 year and $2.7 million subsequent years when all scholarship athletes have graduated.
Combined with other savings from salary reductions and other measures, it moves the Gophers in the direction of what will be needed to cover what they say could be as much as a $75 million revenue shortfall this season as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
A couple million dollars might seem like a drop in the bucket with such a large shortfall looming, but it's also likely that schools across the country will be paying off losses from this year for many years to come and will look for future savings to bridge that gap.
