The running list of sports teams dropped by Division I schools has reached 84 teams with men’s tennis (12), women’s tennis (9), and men’s track (9) the biggest losers. The biggest surprise is Stanford dropping 11 of their most successful sports To include women’s sailing (3 national championships), synchronized swimming (8 national championships), men’s volleyball (2 national championships), field hockey (2 national championships), and men’s rowing (5 national championships).
Outside Stanford, Furman dropping the growing sport of lacrosse was a major surprise as well.
Denver athletics added women’s triathlon during the pandemic and did not drop any men’s or women’s sports.
Baseball (3): Boise State, Chicago State, Furman
Coed sailing (2): y-George Washington, y-Stanford
Field hockey (1): y-Stanford
Men’s cross country (2): Akron, y-Connecticut
Men’s fencing (1): y-Stanford
Men’s golf (3): Akron, Dartmouth, Hampton
Men’s gymnastics (3): y-Iowa, y-Minnesota, y-William & Mary
Men’s ice hockey (1): y-Alaska-Anchorage
Men’s lacrosse (1): Furman
Men’s lightweight rowing (1): Dartmouth
Men’s rowing (2): y-George Washington, y-Stanford
Men’s skiing (1): y-Alaska-Anchorage
Men’s soccer (2): Appalachian State, Cincinnati
Men’s squash (1): y-George Washington
Men’s swimming (6): y-Connecticut, Dartmouth, East Carolina, y-Iowa, Western Illinois, y-William & Mary
Men’s tennis (12): Appalachian State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, y-Connecticut, East Carolina, y-Iowa, y-George Washington, Green Bay, y-Minnesota, Northern Colorado, Southern Utah, Winthrop, Wright State
Men’s volleyball (1): y-Stanford
Men’s wrestling (2): Old Dominion, y-Stanford
Synchronized swimming (1): y-Stanford
Women’s fencing (1): y-Stanford
Women’s golf (2): Dartmouth, Hampton
Women’s gymnastics (2): y-Alaska-Anchorage, y-William & Mary
Women’s rowing (2): y-Connecticut, y-Stanford
Women’s sailing (1): y-Stanford
Women’s skiing (1): y-Alaska-Anchorage
Women’s squash (2): y-George Washington, y-Stanford
Women’s swimming (6): Boise State, Dartmouth, East Carolina, y-Iowa, Western Illinois, y-William & Mary
Women’s tennis (9): Akron, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, East Carolina, Green Bay, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Northern Colorado, Southern Utah, Winthrop, Wright State
Women’s volleyball (1): y-William & Mary
Women’s water polo (1): y-George Washington
Bold = DU Sponsored sports
Note: (x-denotes school closure; y-effective in 2021)
Photo credit: Chattanooga Times Press
Complete non-sequitur to this article. But I see that DU moved up 17 spots to #80 is US News rankings for national universities. First reaction–great! Not all Colorado universities fared as well (example: CU-Boulder falling out of the top 100.) But it also makes you wonder why we fell the prior year…and how much of these dramatic rises and falls are within the control of the DU admin. Hopefully this indicates some kind of trajectory for DU. To the extent that it’s in their control, they should raise admission standards, take whatever action they can with a goal of getting into the low 60’s/upper 50’s in a few years. They were on that trajectory a while ago, not sure what happened. A ranking in that area would correspond better to DU’s price tag. Though I also see that DU ranks pretty highly in the “value” rankings–maybe top 60 if I recall??