Lincoln University will cut baseball and tennis as varsity sports beginning in July, citing a campus-wide study of the finances and long-term championship viability of all programs.
According to officials, the 29 students playing in the two sports will have immediate releases for transfer, and will honor athletic scholarships for the 2016-17 academic year.
Calling the decision “difficult,” officials said in a release that the 10-month athletic review assessed facility needs, expectations for success, and the overall experience of student-athletes in the face of limited funding and increasing athletic costs.
The Blue Tigers Baseball team has a combined record of 6-137 since 2014, and the tennis team finished with a 2-36 record over the same period.
Lincoln’s 12 remaining sports meets the mandatory number for NCAA Division II membership.
Sometimes is not all about winning, just about competing and playing the game. So it seems the decision was about winning and losing not finances. I does not cost nearly as much for a baseball diamond and a few tennis court to maintain. Really.