Brown Cuts 11 Varsity Sports: Men’s Track & Cross Country Among Programs Eliminated in Restructuring
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Brown University had run the third-largest number of varsity teams in the nation. But, the University announced on Thursday it is cutting 11 varsity sports.
Almost 900 students competed across Brown's 38 varsity teams last year, including non-recruited athletes invited to "walk on" to complete rosters. In the decade ending in 2018, Brown earned 2.8% of Ivy League titles, the lowest among member schools. The initiative will implement a net reduction in varsity teams from 38 to 29.
In a conference call with reporters, Brown President Christina Paxson and Athletic Director Jack Hayes discussed the process for selecting the sports that were being eliminated.
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Sports being eliminated
Effective immediately for the 2020-21 academic year, the University will transition 11 varsity teams to club status. Brown will cease training, competition and operations at the varsity level for men's and women's fencing; men's and women's golf; women's skiing; men's and women's squash; women's equestrian; and men's track, field and cross country (which are three varsity sports under federal Title IX rules governing access to opportunities in sports) said the University.
Approximately 150 athletes will be impacted and seven coaching positions will be eliminated.
Club coed sailing and club women's sailing will each transition to varsity status.
"We envision varsity athletes who, as Brown students, are among the most academically talented in the world, who also compete on teams that are among the most competitive among our peers," Paxson said. "And we have a vision for club sports that offer competitive athletic opportunities to a wide array of students, while also supporting health and well-being. The Excellence in Brown Athletics Initiative is a bold plan to reshape athletics for our student-athletes and to achieve that vision."
Paxson and Hayes said that the overall commitment to athletics would not be cut, but that dollars would be reapportioned.
Updated at 3:59 PM
