On Wednesday, President Brownell approved athletic cuts that were part anticipated, part dreaded, and in the case of men's cross country, unexpected.
After two months of deliberation, three committees and what Brownell and athletics director Bubba Cunningham called more than a thousand e-mails, Cunningham recommended that Brownell cut three programs: men's cross country, men's indoor track, and men's outdoor track.
But it could've been worse.
At one point early in the debate, proposed cuts also included the men's swim team, men's volleyball team, women's gymnastics and women's field hockey. All four teams survived.
However, cross country was a late addition to the plan -- and a surprise to the team.
Jim Sprecher, head coach of all three teams cut, is currently vacationing with his family and was unavailable for comment.
In fact, when Cunningham was asked if he knew whether Sprecher had heard of the cuts, Cunningham simply replied, "No."
It is a sad time for Ball State athletics.
Whether these cuts could have been avoided is up for debate. Economics professor Philip Coehlo cites inaccurate accounting (see column below), and thinks these cuts could have been avoided.
But the cuts were not avoided, and that's where we are right now.
It's time for the administration to start down the path of effective financial solutions that will prevent cuts like these from happening again.
Athletes such as Steve Samuel (see column below, at right) are men without teams now. Neither Samuel nor his teammates deserved it. He and other athletes were in tears Wednesday.
That simply should not happen again.
This should be a wake-up call to the Ball State community. Every athlete and coach, from football to tennis to field hockey to basketball -- along with every administrator -- should share the burden to preserve the athletics department as we know it, before further cuts are necessary.
And the threat of more cuts is real. In his most recent "President's Prespective," Brownell said that there may come a time when dropping football is a consideration.
This is unacceptable.
If more than a thousand e-mails is any indication, it appears that the Ball State community can band together under a cause.
But Brownell and Cunningham must lead -- and preserve -- our community.
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