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The University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents voted by a 7-to-5 margin Friday to cut three men’s sports -- gymnastics, tennis, and indoor track and field -- the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
Athletics director Mark Coyle proposed the cuts to help address an estimated $45 to $65 million budget deficit and concerns about compliance with Title IX, the gender equity law. Outdoor men’s track and field, which was originally slated for elimination, was spared.
Cutting the three programs is estimated to save $1.6 million each year. Coyle said the decision is expected to affect 34 male athletes, and that the university expects to have 31 fewer female athletes next season.
Supporters of the sports programs said prior to the vote they would stop donating to the university if the programs were cut.
