Trimming teams: An examination of decision making processes in intercollegiate athletic departments when multiple varsity sport programs are eliminated

The combination of an economic downturn and the excessive increase in operating costs in intercollegiate athletics has created large deficits in the annual budgets for many institutions (Knight Commission, 2010). As athletic departments struggle to balance their budgets, they are forced to make tough decisions on how to reduce expenses. One solution has been to eliminate multiple varsity sport programs. The purpose of this study is to determine the primary reasons why institutions eliminate varsity sports teams. Specifically, this study will examine the decision making process used to come to the conclusion of eliminating multiple teams at once. This study confirmed previous findings (Weight, 2006) that the primary reasons for eliminating varsity sport programs were Athletic Department Budget Shortages and Gender Equity Implications. This study also found that athletic departments should utilize a set of principles to guide their decision making process when contemplating the discontinuation of varsity sport programs.