TO: THE RUTGERS BOARD OF GOVERNORS

FROM: [Your Name]

SUBJECT: SAVE RUTGERS CREW 

 

I am adding my name to this petition that asks the Rutgers Board of Governors to reconsider the distribution of the funding cuts that were enacted on Friday, July 14th.  In particular, I ask that they reevaluate the decision to eliminate six varsity sports on the grounds that the budgetary impact of this cut does not outweigh the deleterious effects it will have on the university community and the alumni.  More importantly, I ask the entire board to review the proposed athletic department cuts and decide whether they are designed to reduce costs or to address Title IX compliance.

[Your personal comment]

I am a supporter of Rutgers, and I understand that it, and the state of New Jersey, is facing a dire budget crisis.  However, with respect to the cuts proposed by the athletic department, it is essential to differentiate between enacting difficult—yet necessary—budgetary measures and fundamentally restructuring the athletic department and its programs.  With the aid of newspaper reporting and press releases, the elimination of these six sports is being presented as an unfortunate byproduct of a crisis that is affecting the entire university, indeed the entire state.  Yet, if the athletic department was following the “belt-tightening” process that was repeatedly referenced during the July 14th meeting, the logical recommendation would have been, for example, to evenly scale back scholarships, staffing, and services—which, of course, is what is being done in the other affected units because they are reductions that can be easily reinstated when the university’s financial position improves—not simply to eliminate six programs, including the country’s oldest intercollegiate sport. 

When we acknowledge that we are considering two clearly distinct issues—and when we follow Gene O’Hara’s comments from the press conference that followed the meeting—it becomes clear that the elimination of these sports is simply part of an ongoing process, one that will radically alter the face of Rutgers athletics—and, indeed, the entire university—forever.  If the Board of Governors is genuinely committed to ensuring that the impact of these unfortunate cuts will not be felt permanently—a position that was repeated throughout the July 14th meeting—then I would submit that they are compelled to revisit the issue of eliminating these six programs.  Moreover, if the proposed athletic department cuts are not primarily budgetary—which should be clear when we consider the paltry savings in comparison to the overall budget and when we consider that five of the six sports that were eliminated are men’s sports—but rather motivated by Title IX compliance, then the Board of Governors must vote on the elimination of these sports as a separate issue, regardless of what the final decision is.

In considering how to confront this dilemma, we must resist the temptation to allow the debate to become polarized between the supporters and the detractors of the so-called “big time” sports formula.  Likewise, we must not allow the mere mention of Title IX to inhibit dispassionate analysis.  Rather, I am asking for Rutgers to reassess the paradigm that suggests that, for tier one sports to be successful, an athletic department must shed all of its other programs.  Though it would be a daunting challenge because there is no such formula or template—and because Title IX adds significant complications—shouldn’t Rutgers distinguish itself by being the only major university with winning first tier sports and with the most opportunities for competitive Olympic Sports athletes?  Indeed, as Ronald Giaconia has said, “As the State University of New Jersey, it is incumbent upon Rutgers to offer as many opportunities [as possible] to its students.  And the athletic department does just that by fielding 30 varsity teams.”  If we fail to heed Mr. Giaconia’s words and allow the elimination of these sports, we will not only change forever what Rutgers has always been, we will fail in our obligation to ensure that it remains what it should be.