In an effort to “adapt to the rapidly changing NCAA landscape,” Loyola Marymount University has announced it will eliminate six sports programs at the end of the 2023-24 season due to new rules regarding name, image and likeness and “rulings.” earrings”. about student-athletes as employees”
Jesuit University of Los Angeles will eliminate three men's teams (rowing, cross country and track and field) and three women's teams (rowing, swimming and track and field). The decision will affect approximately 115 student-athletes, as well as five full-time and two part-time coaches, LMU said on its website.
“Our goal is to provide the best possible experience for student-athletes, and we are best positioned to achieve our goals when we focus our finite resources on fewer programs,” LMU athletic director Craig Pintens wrote in a letter published Tuesday in the school website.
Pintens launched a broad evaluation of LMU's athletic program last fall and made the decision to reduce the number of school teams from 20 to the NCAA's minimum of 14, with the support of university president Timothy Law Snyder. A report based on that study was posted online Tuesday.
In an email responding to questions from The Times, Pintens said the study was prompted by “a combination of all the significant changes that have occurred and will occur” to NCAA regulations.
“We are in a time of rapid and exponential change in intercollegiate athletics, which requires LMU Athletics to also adapt to be competitive and successful in the future,” Pintens wrote. “This was a complex decision that was made after careful consideration of several internal and external factors, in consultation with external partners and select university leaders.”
Pintens mentioned that LMU boosters recently formed an independent collective to support student-athletes. Additionally, she said the university has had to hire a new staff member to handle NIL matters, including student-athlete education and the university's compliance with NCAA rules.
“Schools that do not devote significant attention to opportunity, education, and NIL compliance may find it difficult to compete in the future, particularly given the transfer portal,” Pintens wrote, adding: “We want to be prepared for any direction NIL may take.” take in the coming years, including the strong possibility that schools can participate with NIL within the framework of an institution and an athletic department.”
The Lions compete in NCAA Division I, outside of football, and in the West Coast Conference. The university said in a news release that it will help affected student-athletes by “honoring their athletic financial aid if they remain at LMU for their undergraduate studies” and offering assistance to those who decide to transfer to compete at another school.
Pintens told The Times that the university will not cut any staff positions in connection with the elimination of specific teams.
LMU swimmer Alena Sharp has started an online petition in an effort to save the soon-to-be eliminated programs. As of early Friday afternoon, the petition had received more than 3,100 signatures.
“Starting a petition is not something I would normally do, but I felt compelled to do so because of the absolute devastation felt by us athletes who have worked so hard for this opportunity,” Sharp wrote. “I know that I am not alone and that together we can achieve this change.”
However, no matter how many signatures the petition gets, it may not help the affected sports. One of the questions listed on the school's FAQ page about the cuts is whether the decision can be reversed or reversed.
The school's answer is “No.”
“LMU's athletic director made this decision with the full support of the university's leadership,” the website reads. “While we recognize this decision is disappointing, the university is confident that this path supports the best interests of our student-athletes and the goals of LMU Athletics.”
