Wheaton College cuts 5 varsity sports

Wheaton College announced Tuesday it will cut five varsity sports for budget reasons at the end of the school year.

Wheaton eliminated men's and women's golf, men's tennis, men's indoor track and women's water polo, cutting the number of varsity sports it offers to 17. It was a move the school had tried to avoid for almost a decade, looking to find revenue in places like camps and golf outings.

"We've tried that over time and have had limited success," athletic director Tony Ladd said.

The current economic crisis was the last straw, he added.

"This economic downturn has really affected campuses and caused them to look at programs like they didn't have to before," Ladd said.

The Wheaton athletic department cut expenses by 7 percent across the board last year, but it wasn't enough, and it found that some of those expenses, such as funds for professional development opportunities, were things it felt a need to reinstate.

Ladd delivered the bad news to the coaches and athletes in person Tuesday afternoon. Many reacted with shock and anger, he said, and he expects to answer many more questions from the student-athletes as they deal with the loss of their sport. Some of the teams are due to go on their annual spring trip later this week.

"We are a family, so when you are dealing with these kinds of decisions, it's like a death," Ladd said.

Some of the coaches have other responsibilities within the athletic department and will keep those jobs. Others will have to be let go.

"That makes it very difficult because you are dealing with individuals' lives," Ladd said.

As a Division III college, Wheaton does not offer athletic scholarships.