Sign petition to save UNCW track and field program here - Program is set to be axed.

Their mind has already been made up.

I will sign it in support of the athletes and the sport, but are there any examples of a university ever changing their decision to cut a sport based on a petition?

WhitePony wrote:

Their mind has already been made up.

I will sign it in support of the athletes and the sport, but are there any examples of a university ever changing their decision to cut a sport based on a petition?

University of Maryland? I don't know if it was the petition but a lot of noise was made and they wound up saving the men's track team for whatever its worth...

A reminder for those of you thinking of signing, and for future victims of program cuts:

PETITIONS DO NOTHING.

A bunch of strangers signing an online form does not influence the

How was UNCW swimming saved? Alumni and coaches formed an endowment fund that provide for operating expenses.

How was UMCP track saved? Donations made to the "Save our Sports" fund gave a temporary (but not permanent) reprieve.

Money talks. In the past year, since the last threat of cuts from UNCW administrators, how much money has been raised by the track program to ensure its existence? How many wealth alumni have stepped up to provide funds for the team?

xcisking49 wrote:

WhitePony wrote:

Their mind has already been made up.

I will sign it in support of the athletes and the sport, but are there any examples of a university ever changing their decision to cut a sport based on a petition?

University of Maryland? I don't know if it was the petition but a lot of noise was made and they wound up saving the men's track team for whatever its worth...

Any UNCW alums run a huge sports apparel company? Didn't Under Armor pretty much save UM athletics?

Positive Contribtution wrote:

xcisking49 wrote:

University of Maryland? I don't know if it was the petition but a lot of noise was made and they wound up saving the men's track team for whatever its worth...

Any UNCW alums run a huge sports apparel company? Didn't Under Armor pretty much save UM athletics?

From what I heard it was from alumnus donors and not Under Armour. It was also a minimal amount to run a bare bones program.

WhitePony wrote:

Their mind has already been made up.

I will sign it in support of the athletes and the sport, but are there any examples of a university ever changing their decision to cut a sport based on a petition?

+1, if the UAB Football cut is any indication its that if a sport is on the chopping block the minds were already made up.

How about eliminated taxpayer funded college athletics (and the associated corruption) and transitioning to a European club model?

*eliminating

eltjim wrote:

How about eliminated taxpayer funded college athletics (and the associated corruption) and transitioning to a European club model?

For the ties Under Armour has to Maryland you would think they would put money into the school like Nike does to Oregon, I don't get it.

money talk, petitions walk wrote:

A reminder for those of you thinking of signing, and for future victims of program cuts:

PETITIONS DO NOTHING.

A bunch of strangers signing an online form does not influence the

How was UNCW swimming saved? Alumni and coaches formed an endowment fund that provide for operating expenses.

How was UMCP track saved? Donations made to the "Save our Sports" fund gave a temporary (but not permanent) reprieve.

Money talks. In the past year, since the last threat of cuts from UNCW administrators, how much money has been raised by the track program to ensure its existence? How many wealth alumni have stepped up to provide funds for the team?

Provide funds for the team? It's not the responsibility of the athletes, coaches, or alumni to fund the existence of the team. Donations are 'icing on the cake'. What's your ideal plan? A bunch of students, coaches, and alumni support the operation costs for a D-1 team while the administration picks up the race entry fees? The team has raised some money but it has only been a year since we saved our team last time.

Also, the AD and some administrators held an open meeting today with the team, coaches, alumni, and general public. The AD stated that no amount of fund raising would reverse the decision and that if we did happen to raise money it would not be considered or accepted.

And yes, money does talk. According to the budget portfolio, Track & field and XC is the least expensive program to operate at UNCW. Last year, the AD fired the BBall coach violating the contract that we designed for him and now we are paying a guy who doesn't work here (and drove the BBall team into the ground) $800,000. While also hiring another coach and paying him just under $500,000/year. The Men's XC team costs $12,000/year. Men's outdoor track - $35,000. The last time that UNCW tried to cut us, Swimming & Diving, and Softball, they had a $12 million payroll increase. Cutting the men's and women's track team would save the school $500,000.

Money is the issue. And the issue is our school's misuse of it.

You could also argue that championships talk. And we have the most on campus. Most of them coming in the last 15 years. We had a 3x All-American during that time. There have been a ridiculous amount of individual conference champs and NCAA regional qualifiers too. All while being wildly underfunded (4 scholarships for men's XC, outdoor, and indoor/only one coach makes over $30,000/year). If you wanna take the approach of statistics and 'just looking at the numbers', then it makes no sense to cut this team. Objectively, it's the best thing UNCW has going.

UNC-W wrote:

If you wanna take the approach of statistics and 'just looking at the numbers', then it makes no sense to cut this team. Objectively, it's the best thing UNCW has going.

No, Swimming is. One of the many reasons the University decided to keep it.

Has anyone gone to the UNCW athletic site and viewed their glut of administrative positions? They have so much money tied into athletic department staff that they are lucky to put any team on the field. The publicity director has two full time assistants and an intern and that is just one area. Wow, reporting the latest baseball score and scheduling a basketball coach's show that no one watches sure is time intrusive.

Ummmm, no wrote:

UNC-W wrote:

If you wanna take the approach of statistics and 'just looking at the numbers', then it makes no sense to cut this team. Objectively, it's the best thing UNCW has going.

No, Swimming is. One of the many reasons the University decided to keep it.

Yep. Swimming has ruled the roost there for a long time. Interesting to see what happens now that Coach Allen is gone.

Mu Phi Sigma

why the hell would UNCW care if some clown in Idaho or Cali signs a petition about keeping track? stupid idea..

You should as the UofU how they saved their men's track and....oh, wait.

YEAAAAAAA!!!

https://www.facebook.com/saveuncwtrack

"We always had a great feeling that this would happen. The new Chancellor is going to be a wonderful addition to UNCW. He will continue to lead the University in the right direction!! Kudos to his leadership!!"

Thanks to everyone for their help!

Now what happens?

Will the coach sit back and be happy to have a job? Or will he recruit relentlessly, expand the roster to huge numbers, fund raise, establish endowments, and make it impossible to be considered again?

Congrats to UNCW Track and Field on having the program permanently reinstated

http://www.wect.com/story/29750023/uncw-track-and-field-programs-permanently-reinstated?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UstfcccaFromTheWire+%28USTFCCCA+From+the+Wire%29

lub wrote:

Congrats to UNCW Track and Field on having the program permanently reinstated

http://www.wect.com/story/29750023/uncw-track-and-field-programs-permanently-reinstated?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UstfcccaFromTheWire+%28USTFCCCA+From+the+Wire%29

Show me the money. If other posts are correct, the track program runs on a thread, not even a shoe string. It would take a dozen alumni to fund it and that's probably what happened.

Threadbare budgets and an hourly coach is not a program.