Skiing, indoor track programs at University of Alaska on the chopping block
University of Alaska President Jim Johnsen has requested a waiver that would reduce the number of teams needed by UAF and UAA to qualify as NCAA Division II schools. If granted, the waiver would result in cutting some athletic programs from those universities.
The waivers would allow UAA and UAF to remain as DII schools while having less than the 10 team requirement set by the NCAA. If granted, the waivers will allow UAA to cut its men’s and women’s skiing and indoor track programs. UAF’s skiing program would also be cut.
This would reduce the total number of UAA's eligible teams from 13 to 9, and UAF's from 10 to 8. All told, the cuts would affect eight coaching positions and about 95 student athletes according to UA.
Johnsen discussed the cuts at a press conference on Thursday afternoon along with UAA Athletic Director Keith Hackett, UAF Athletic Director Gary Gray and UA Assoc. General Counsel Mike O’Brien.
"These are hard decisions and not ones that I enjoy making" Johnsen told reporters.
These are the latest cuts being planned by the University of Alaska as a result of the state’s crippling budget deficit brought on by slumped oil prices. If the NCAA approves the waivers and the teams are cut, the money saved will still represent only a portion of the budget reductions facing each university.
According to the infographic, UAA would save $700,000-$725,000 by cutting its skiing and track teams, but its overall athletics budget reduction anticipated for fiscal year 2018 is $1,900,000. Cutting skiing at UAF would save $400,000, or about half of the university’s anticipated $800,000 athletics budget reduction.
If the NCAA does not approve the waiver requests, Johnsen says the university system will have to look at alternatives such as merging UAF’s skiing team’s with UAA to achieve the required number of 10 teams while still saving some money.
