St. Louis junior colleges to cut 7 of 22 sports programs in 2010-11
By Kathleen Nelson of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Seven of the 22 intercollegiate athletic programs offered this year in the St. Louis Community College district will be cut beginning next fall.The programs to be eliminated: wrestling, women’s volleyball and men’s soccer at the Meramec campus; baseball at Forest Park; baseball and men’s and women’s track and field at Florissant Valley.
Susan Edmiston, coordinator of college communications, said the cuts were part of a $1 million reduction in the district’s operating budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2010. Edmiston said that cutting the programs will save about $200,000.
The decisions on which programs to cut had little to do with their success. Compliance with Title IX was a consideration, Edmiston said, “but they also looked at how many athletes were involved in each sport and travel costs.”
Athletes competing in programs to be cut will be eligible to try out for the same program at another campus. Baseball will still be offered at Meramec, men’s soccer will continue at Forest Park and Florissant Valley, and women’s volleyball will still be played at Flo Valley.
Meramec was ranked in the Top 25 nationally in the most recent NJCAA polls. The Magic also won National titles in 1972 and 1976, part of a legacy of 12 titles won by St Louis Community College programs.
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