Eastern Michigan University announced that four sports programs will be cut, and estimated savings from these cuts totals near $2.4 million. The sports programs the university is terminating include men's swimming and diving, women's tennis, the wrestling program, and the softball program; affecting 58 male student-athletes and 25 female student-athletes. The university said that despite the cuts, they will still honor their athletic scholarships.
In a release, EMU President James Smith said the move "aligns us with our Mid-American Conference peers in total number of sports, and is part of our ongoing effort to realign resources to ensure that we continue to invest in high-demand high-quality academic programs and world-class facilities."
EMU athletic director Scott Wetherbee said that the athletes were being made aware of the situation now in order to give them necessary time to potentially look for other alternatives to staying at the university, should they choose to continue somewhere else with their sport. Wetherbee also sympathizes with the student-athletes, as he was a freshman at Ferris State on a partial baseball scholarship when their baseball program was eliminated. He was informed in enough time to transfer schools, and wants to give the affected EMU students that option as well.
The university has released a question and answer site here for more information.