Tracker: College Sports Programs Cut During COVID-19 Pandemic
Last Updated on July 14, 2021
Below we are tracking Division I sports programs cut during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strikethroughs indicate schools that made cuts and then reinstated sports.
Last Updated on July 14, 2021| # Cut | Student Athletes Impacted | Coaches/Assistants/Staff Impacted | Sports Cut | |
| Old Dominion | 1 | 32 | 4 | Wrestling (M) |
| Cincinnati | 1 | 24 | 1 | Soccer (M) |
| Univ. of Wisconsin – Green Bay | 2 | 8 | 1 | Tennis (M), Tennis (W) |
| Akron | 3 | 32 | 4 | Cross Country (M), Golf (M), Tennis (W) |
| Furman | 2 | 95 | 6 | Baseball, Lacrosse (M) |
| Central Michigan | 2 | 36 | 2 | Indoor Track & Field (M), Outdoor Track & Field (M) |
| East Carolina | 4 | 68 | 9 | Swimming & Diving (M), Swimming & Diving (W), Tennis (M), Tennis (W) |
| Appalachian State | 3 | 40-50 | 4 | Soccer (M), Tennis (M), Indoor Track & Field (M) |
| Wright State | 3 | 39 | 6 | Softball, Tennis (M), Tennis (W) |
| Chicago State | 1 | Baseball* | ||
| UConn | 4 | 124 | 4 | Cross Country (M), Swimming & Diving (M), Tennis (M), Rowing (W) |
| Hampton | 2 | Golf (M), Golf (W)*** | ||
| Northern Colorado | 2 | Tennis (M), Tennis (W) | ||
| Southern Utah | 2 | Tennis (M), Tennis (W) | ||
| Winthrop | 2 | Tennis (M), Tennis (W) | ||
| Iowa | Gymnastics (M), Tennis (M), Swimming & Diving (M), | |||
| Alaska – Anchorage | 55 | 9 | Ice Hockey (M), Skiing (M), Skiing (W), | |
| Boise State | 2 | Baseball, Swimming and Diving (W) | ||
| George Washington | 3† | Indoor Track (M), Tennis (M) and Water Polo (W) | ||
| Minnesota | 4 | 58 | Gymnastics (M), Tennis (M), Indoor Track & Field (M), Outdoor Track & Field (M) | |
| LaSalle | 130 | Baseball, | ||
| Brown | 150†† | Fencing (M), Golf (M), Golf (W), Skiing (W), Squash (M), Squash (W), | ||
| Fresno State | 3 | 70 | Lacrosse (W), Tennis (M), Wrestling (M) | |
| Michigan State | 2 | 58 | Swimming & Diving (M), Swimming & Diving (W) | |
| San Diego State | 1 | 50 | Rowing (W) | |
| University of Alabama in Huntsville‡‡‡ | ||||
| University of St. Thomas | 27 | Tennis (M), | ||
| North Carolina Central | 1 | 38 | Baseball | |
| Western Illinois | 2 | 29 | Swimming & Diving (M), Swimming & Diving (W) | |
| Robert Morris2 | 2 | Ice Hockey (M), Ice Hockey (W) |
Total DI sports cut (not counting reinstatements): 77
Total D1 sports cut (including reinstatements): 112
Total DI institutions that have made cuts: 35
Total D1 sports reinstated: 37 (although UAH was only reinstated for 2020-21 and has since been suspended again)
*Chicago State replaced Baseball with Soccer (M)
**[Removed]
***Hampton is fundraising to try and save the golf programs (GoFundMe)
†George Washington dropped 7 total, but only 3 NCAA sports
††Brown initially cut 11 sports but reinstated men’s indoor track and field, men’s outdoor track and field, men’s cross country, women’s equestrian and women’s fencing. Brown also transitioned club coed sailing and club women’s sailing to varsity status. The athletic department budget is not being reduced and the cuts were said to be unrelated to the pandemic.
†††Stanford also indicated 20 staff positions would be eliminated along wtih the 22 coaches in the 11 sports
‡Brown reinstated all five sports it cut on January 29, 2021
‡‡BGSU reinstated baseball
‡‡‡UAH hockey was saved by private fundraising for the 2020-21 season. It is currently searching for a conference for 2021-22 and beyond.
§William & Mary reinstated all sports previously cut
1St. Thomas is currently DIII but approved to move to DI
2“Robert Morris University and the newly formed Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation have announced that they will partner together in an effort to raise sufficient funds to support the reinstatement of RMU’s NCAA Division I men’s and women’s ice hockey programs in time for the 2021-22 season” See more
Division I Totals by Sport
Baseball – 5
Cross Country (M) – 2
Fencing (M) – 1
Golf (M) – 3
Golf (W) – 2
Gymnastics (M) – 2
Ice Hockey (M) – 2 (UAH isn’t being counted here because it was saved for the 2021-22 season, although it has been suspended for the 2022-23 season and is still in search of a new conference)
Ice Hockey (W) – 1
Indoor Track & Field (M) – 4
Lacrosse (M) – 1
Lacrosse (W) – 1
Outdoor Track & Field (M) – 2
Rowing (W) – 2
Skiing (M) – 1
Skiing (W) – 2
Squash (M) – 1
Squash (W) – 1
Soccer (M) – 2
Softball – 2
Swimming & Diving (M) – 5
Swimming & Diving (W) – 4
Tennis (W) – 9
Tennis (M) – 15
Volleyball (W) – 1
Water Polo (M) -1
Water Polo (W) – 1
Wrestling (M) – 2
Note on FIU: We have not included FIU yet. There has been a report that FIU is dropping men’s indoor track & field, but FIU has not yet announced the cut.
Special thanks to Austin Pert and Dylan Harriger who assisted with the gathering of this data.
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