Stanford will eliminate 11 of its varsity athletic programs at the end of this upcoming academic year as it deals with financial ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic.
Stanford, which has long boasted one of the most robust collections of varsity sports in the country, will cut 11 of its varsity programs at the conclusion of the 2020-21 academic year as it deals with the ongoing financial ramifications of the coronavirus.
The 11 sports that will be discontinued are men’s and women’s fencing, field hockey, lightweight rowing, men’s rowing, co-ed and women’s sailing, squash, synchronized swimming, men’s volleyball and wrestling.
Coaches and athletes were notified of the decision via Zoom conferences on Wednesday.
The school announced the decision in an open letter to the Stanford community on behalf of President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, Provost Persis Drell and Director of Athletics Bernard Muir. It said that continuing to fund 36 athletic programs was „not sustainable“ and that alternatives such as budget reductions and fundraising were „insufficient to meet the magnitude of the financial challenge before us.“
„This is heartbreaking news to share,“ they wrote.
