Clemson eliminating Men's Track/Cross Country

[TIGER-PAUL]

Clemson to discontinue menâs track and field and cross country program

Clemson Athletics will discontinue its menâs track and field and cross country program at the conclusion of the 2020-21 athletic season, Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich announced today.

www.wyff4.com

Clemson to discontinue men’s track and field and cross country program

Men’s track and field has been sponsored at Clemson since 1953


CLEMSON, S.C. —
Clemson Athletics will discontinue its men’s track and field and cross country program at the conclusion of the 2020-21 athletic season, Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich announced Thursday.
The program includes indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country, reducing Clemson’s future varsity sport offerings to 16.


“This difficult decision is a result of an exhaustive examination of our athletics department over the past several months,” said Radakovich. “After careful analysis, we concluded that discontinuing our men’s track and field program is in the best long-term interest of Clemson Athletics. This decision impacts incredible student-athletes, and we know how hard they work and the effort and pride they take in representing Clemson University.”
Clemson Athletics will honor the scholarships of all impacted student-athletes through their undergraduate years at Clemson at the level of financial aid that they are presently receiving. The NCAA-maximum number of allowable scholarships for men’s track is 12. Clemson’s 12 scholarships are presently split among 26 student-athletes, 15 of whom are scheduled to graduate by August 2021. Clemson also supports an additional 25 walk-on student-athletes in the program. All coaches’ contracts will also be honored through their current terms.
In addition to continuing to receive scholarships for those eligible, all student-athletes will still have access to sports medicine, academic support, career development, nutrition, priority class registration, mental health services and strength and conditioning facilities as long as they remain enrolled at Clemson.
Men’s track and field has been sponsored at Clemson since 1953, claiming 23 combined ACC Team Championships, 16 individual NCAA champions, 22 Olympians and four Olympic Gold Medalists.
Clemson’s varsity sport offerings will continue to include women’s track and field and cross country.

 

[Hoquista]

Needed the slide in their new FB facility....

 

[pittchagg]

Pretty sad. Clemson has a pretty prestigious track history. Dabo’s going to cash that $9M check this year, though. That’s probably about $8M more than it costs to maintain the teams that Clemson decided to cut.

 

[bayardstreet]

Couldn’t agree more. They do have a nice history of track success.

 

[CrazyPaco]

It doesn't make much financial sense outside an easy title IX fix. Their men's and women's coaches are the same so it doesn't save on coaching costs, it doesn't save on facilities, it likely doesn't save much on equipment because of existing Nike contract likely provides most of the equipment. It saves 12.6 scholarships a year and some traveling costs. It doesn't seem to be a significant financial savings and and it cuts probably the most diverse sport on campus, which is a bad look these days.

 

[pittchagg]

It doesn't make much financial sense outside an easy title IX fix. Their men's and women's coaches are the same so it doesn't save on coaching costs, it doesn't save on facilities, it likely doesn't save much on equipment because of existing Nike contract likely provides most of the equipment. It saves 12.6 scholarships a year and some traveling costs. It doesn't seem to be a significant financial savings and and it cuts probably the most diverse sport on campus, which is a bad look these days.

Among the biggest rosters, too. The overall cost to the athletic department per athlete for those sports is pretty low.

 

[anon_d97v9o3a8b6xr]

This is sad for a program that raises a ton of money. Maybe cut some football salaries by 1% and you are covered.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

Title IX fix, IMHO.

 

[CrazyPaco]

They're down to 16 varsity sports sponsored, the NCAA minimum, that is the smallest number in the ACC and, frankly, pathetic for a major athletic school.

 

[anon_d97v9o3a8b6xr]

They're down to 16 varsity sports sponsored, the NCAA minimum, that is the smallest number in the ACC and, frankly, pathetic for a major athletic school.

Football school

 

[CrazyPaco]

Football school

LOL, I think the only other school with as few varsity sports in the entire Power 5 is Vanderbilt.

 

[pittchagg]

It’s embarrassing. It’s one thing to be Vanderbilt and run your football program in a, shall we say, thrifty fashion. But Clemson ain’t thrifty with football.

Former Olympic sport athletes often end up being a school’s biggest donors as alumni, too. Just seems incredibly short-sighted...but you expect that from a school that worships at the Church of Dabo.

 

[anon_d97v9o3a8b6xr]

It’s embarrassing. It’s one thing to be Vanderbilt and run your football program in a, shall we say, thrifty fashion. But Clemson ain’t thrifty with football.

Former Olympic sport athletes often end up being a school’s biggest donors as alumni, too. Just seems incredibly short-sighted...but you expect that from a school that worships at the Church of Dabo.

I find it really something the ACC should get involved with. I mean Vanderbilt is a nearly ivy like school and focuses on far more than sports and place sports as secondary. Clemson is an exceptionally large budget athletic department that invests so much in football, should in no way make other sports suffer.

 

[bayardstreet]

They also relied on walk on’s to fill out a competitive roster since there are many events for a dual track meet. You just can show up with 6 sprinters and 1 long jumper and win enough points to win the meet. I feel bad for those athletes who just want to compete and see if they can get better at their passion, even with out a scholarship or partial

It’s a bad look for a school that has a multi million dollar student athlete party center complete with a miniature golf course etc.