UALR cutting men’s tennis program
Posted on Friday, May 9, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/225192/
UALR will announce today it is discontinuing its men’s tennis program.
All student-athletes will be eligible to transfer to other NCAA Division I institutions, or they may remain at UALR where their scholarships will be honored.
“Any time you have to discontinue the sponsorship of an intercollegiate sport it is disappointing,” UALR Athletic Director Chris Peterson said. “The most important thing is to assist these young men as they complete their education and finish their tennis careers.”
The men’s tennis team was receiving 4. 5 scholarships, the maximum allowed under NCAA Division I rules, and had an annual budget of about $ 200, 000, Peterson said. That money will be diverted to other programs.
Little Rock junior Brock Dial was one of the nine athletes on the UALR team. The other eight members were from foreign countries.
Director of tennis operations Tommy McDonald is also out of a job. Abby Wilson will remain as the coach of the women’s team, which also receives 4. 5 scholarships.
UALR will continue to offer baseball, basketball, cross country, golf and track and field as men’s sports. UALR offers women’s sports in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, track and field, volleyball and swimming and diving.
The move is being made primarily to keep the program in line with Title IX regulations, which can be met when schools offer athletic scholarships in a similar proportion to that of the student body. According to enrollment statistics UALR published after the spring 2006 semester, 63. 5 percent of UALR’s 7, 152 students are female and 36. 5 percent are male.
UALR will offer 41. 8 men’s scholarships for the 2008-2009 academic year, and 67. 5 women’s scholarships. This calculates to 61. 7 percent of total scholarships being offered to women, and 38. 3 percent offered to men.
NCAA rules allow a maximum of 41. 8 scholarships for the six men’s sports UALR offers (indoor and outdoor track and cross country count as three sports ), meaning UALR is fully funded in men’s sports. NCAA rules allow a maximum of 81 scholarships in the eight women’s sports UALR offers.
In order to qualify for Division I status, a member school must offer at least six men’s sports and eight women’s sports. UALR cannot cut any more men’s programs to stay compliant.
The Trojans tennis team went 16-11 this season, losing to Florida Atlantic in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on April 18.
Information for this article was contributed by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette staff writer Chris Givens.