Following an extensive review process, Northeastern University has elected to discontinue its intercollegiate football program. The decision is consistent with the university’s strategic approach to prioritize programs and invest in signature strengths.

“Our goal for athletics is to achieve sustainable excellence in all areas,” said Athletic Director Peter Roby, who made the initial recommendation, which received the strong support of the university administration, the president, and the Board of Trustees. In an open letter to the Northeastern community, Roby continued, “We do not define success merely through wins and losses. Instead, we recognize that success comes from creating a positive student-athlete experience. The primary motivation for this decision was based on the significant obstacles to providing this experience for our football players.”

Roby added that Northeastern students will continue to participate in 18 different intercollegiate sports, more than 40 club sports, and hundreds of intramural teams. Recent successes include post-season play in basketball and hockey, and championships in women’s volleyball and soccer. The university opened this year’s basketball and hockey seasons in the newly renovated Matthews Arena to record crowds.

Since early 2007, a broad cross-section of the university—including trustees, faculty, students, alumni, donors, and senior administrators—thoroughly investigated the options and opportunities associated with achieving and sustaining excellence in all athletic programs. Ultimately it was determined that elevating and sustaining a competitive Division 1 football program would require additional multimillion dollar investments on an ongoing basis. A broad consensus developed behind discontinuing football and focusing future resources on programs—both academic and non-academic—where the university can achieve and sustain leadership.

The varsity football team played its last game of the season this weekend; players and coaches were told that the program will be discontinued before any public announcement was made. The timing of the decision was chosen to give players and coaches the greatest amount of flexibility to make future plans, either at Northeastern or other universities. Players who complete their degrees at Northeastern will maintain their athletic scholarships through graduation.

“Successful athletic programs play a powerful role in the life of the university,” said Philomena Mantella, senior vice president for enrollment management and student affairs, who oversees athletics. “They bring us together behind the common pursuit of excellence, and contribute to our sense of community. Our student athletes learn valuable lessons outside the classroom—about perseverance, teamwork and personal achievement. We continue to focus on excellence in athletics as an integral component to enhancing the student experience.”

In recent years, including during the current economic downturn, Northeastern has accelerated its momentum by making strategic investments in areas of strength.

“Northeastern has always been guided by the principle that we should focus on our opportunities for leadership,” said President Joseph Aoun. “This approach ultimately leads to difficult choices, but leadership requires that we make these choices. This decision allows us to focus on our existing athletic programs.”

“At a time when higher education is critically important to rebuilding our knowledge-based economy,” Aoun added, “universities have an obligation to invest resources in areas of strength—whether they are competitive athletic programs or cutting-edge academics.”

IRVINE, Calif. — UC Irvine Intercollegiate Athletics, faced with cost-cutting measures due to the state economic crisis, is discontinuing several of its sports programs, effective Aug. 1.

The five affected sports are men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s rowing, and sailing.

These moves reduce the number of intercollegiate sports sponsored at UCI to 18 (nine men’s and nine women’s), which ranks in the upper half of the Big West Conference. With additional reductions to be made in the department’s operating expenses, the total budget impact will be up to $1 million.

“These were extremely difficult decisions that unfortunately had to be made due to the financial crisis that is affecting our state and the UC system,” UCI Athletic Director Mike Izzi said. “I was hoping to avoid discontinuing any of our sports programs, but the Intercollegiate Athletics Department is not immune to the cuts that are occurring in the state and on our campus.

“The impact this has on these coaches and student-athletes is something that none of us wishes to see, but reality is that this type of move is unavoidable with the financial challenges that we face,” he added.

UCI will honor all scholarships as agreed to for the 2009-10 academic year for the student-athletes in these sports wishing to continue their studies at the University. The Athletics Department staff will provide assistance with the transfer process for student-athletes wishing to continue their competitive careers at other universities.

About UC Irvine Intercollegiate Athletics: UC Irvine has won 26 national championships and 65 conference titles. UCI had 10 teams ranked in the nation’s top 50 in 2008-09, including men’s volleyball, which won its second NCAA championship in the past three years. UCI has finished in the top five of the NCAA I-AAA Directors’ Cup (94 non-football schools) each of the past three years. In 2008-09, UCI had 15 All-Americans, 73 all-conference honorees and 68 selections to academic all-conference teams. The university honored 184 Big West Scholar-Athletes, bringing UCI’s total to 3,266 since 1983.

Michelle Gardner of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reports on the creative steps athletic directors of schools within the California State University system are taking to reduce travel costs.

Cal State San Bernardino athletic director Kevin Hatcher has a dilemma.

His volleyball team planned on traveling to Hawaii in August for four matches to begin the season. However, the uncertain economy and impending state budget cuts have Cal State, and all other institutions, taking a second look at the expenditures throughout their athletic departments.

The Coyotes got a good deal with the host school paying for ground transportation, lodging and one meal a day. Thus, Cal State was responsible for air fare and remaining meals.

In an effort to ease the strain on the school’s athletic budget, the volleyball team is raising funds to offset the costs.

That isn’t the problem.

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USF’s athletic department has trimmed its budget for the 2009-10 school year by 0.8 percent, with $32.3 million projected to be spent on the school’s 17 teams and support staff.

USF released its new budget Tuesday, and the biggest cuts are in team travel, which is due for an 8 percent cut, and in administrative expenses, with a 19 percent drop in costs related to “supplies/dues/copy/equipment.

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