Final Verdict
BOV votes to cut scholarships

By Sarah Jones / senior writer

In a unanimous vote, the Board of Visitors decided to adopt a two-tiered structure to the athletic department on Friday.

"We have reviewed the Centennial Sports Committee report that calls for the elimination of eight sports," Pablo Cuevas, chair of the board's Athletic Committee, said. "We have considered the administration's recommendation as well as the coaches' proposal.

"In making a recommendation, I remind you the need to take action is based on two primary issues — compliance with Title IX and the need to enhance services of academic support and sports medicine."

The vote establishes the administration's recommendation, which eliminates scholarship funding for 12 of JMU's 28 varsity teams. The plan provides the maximum number of scholarships allowed by the NCAA for the remaining 13 teams.

Three of the non-scholarship teams, fencing and men's and women's archery, currently operate without JMU scholarship funding. The 12 programs losing scholarships are men's swimming, indoor and outdoor track and field, cross country, golf, wrestling, tennis, gymnastics, and women's swimming, golf, tennis and gymnastics.

The 13 fully funded teams will be men's basketball, football, soccer and baseball and women's lacrosse, field hockey, indoor and outdoor track and field, cross country, softball, soccer, basketball and volleyball.

"In my opinion, we would better serve the university to maintain the sports that we have, despite the fact that we will recognize that we cannot compete in the [category two] sports at the same level which they currently compete," committee member Henry Harrell said during the Athletic Committee's brief discussion prior to the vote. "Nonetheless, the opportunity to compete would remain. Therefore it is my recommendation to offer scholarships to 13 sports while maintaining 15 other sports without scholarships."

The decision came following a meeting of the Athletic Committee earlier Friday. The committee had entertained three proposals over the past several months. The first recommendation was compiled by the Centennial Sports Committee and called for the elimination of eight sports teams. Following that, Athletic Director Jeff Bourne and JMU President Linwood Rose presented their proposal of retaining all 28 teams within the department but creating a tiered system divided on the bases of those receiving scholarships and those not. The final recommendation was composed by a number of coaches.

The coaches' plan adopted the administration's proposal but also called for the increase of student fees by $500 ($275 of which would go to athletics and $225 to other student organizations). The student fees would be used to create an endowment, the interest from which would be used to fund scholarships for the 15 teams now losing scholarships.

While the board adopted the administration's recommendation in full, it said it could not justify raising student fees to help endow scholarships for the teams losing scholarships.

"Frankly, as far as I am concerned, this is an unacceptable tax on the vast majority of the student body despite the good ends as to which it would be put," Harrell said. "The number of students that are directly affected by this tax is a hundred percent — they have to pay it. But the number of students that benefit from it is a considerable minority."

While the new structure of the athletic department will not make use of any additional funds, Cuevas said, "The affected sports may raise private dollars to replace the scholarships, and the fund-raising staff [through the Duke Club] will support their efforts."

The Athletic Committee voted to adopt the administration's plan before a large crowd consisting of coaches and athletes, many of whom were visibly upsets by the decision. When it came time for the entire board to vote on the proposal, the committee was interrupted by two student body representatives.

Sophomore Brandon Durflinger, Student Government Association at-large senator, stood up and addressed Rector Zane Showker and the board. "The student body of James Madison University has not given any clear declaration of whether or not they agree with this action," he said. "I feel by acting today you are looking into the face of the student body and turning a blind ear to what they have to say."

Following Durflinger's remarks, a few board members responded, saying they thought it was time for a decision to be made.

"I think everybody has had ample opportunity to give their input, and I think the process has been better for it, and the results have been better for it," said Timothy McConville, a member of the Athletic Committee.

Joseph Farrell, also a member of the Athletic Committee, said, "We have gone out of our way to open ourselves to everybody's input."

SGA President Mark Sullivan then spoke on behalf of the student body, asking for the vote to be postponed until a student referendum could take place. "During our election next Wednesday (March 28) we can have a referendum on what students actually feel is the most appropriate solution to this problem," Sullivan said.

The referendum will ask students to select between the Centennial Sports Committee's proposal to cut eight teams, the coaches' plan to raise student fees, or the administration's recommendation to cut scholarships.

Sullivan said the results will be sent to board memebrs and the administration.
Even though Sullivan and Durflinger proposed that the vote be delayed, many others, including athletes, coaches and board members thought it was time for this drawn out process to come to an end.

"I think we gain nothing by stringing this process out further," McConville said. "The students and the coaches who are involved in an athletic program need an answer."

Sophomore AJ Kass, a member of the swimming and diving team, said, "I don't think delaying the vote would help, but I would like to see what the majority of the student body thinks."

The scholarships will be taken away slowly, according to Bourne. "We will honor all scholarships that athletes are currently receiving," he said. Bourne also acknowledged that verbal commitments made by coaches to recruits for next year "will be honored." He said this means it will take four to five years for the scholarship money to be completely depleted.

Since many details of the plan still need to be worked out, it is uncertain how restructuring of the department would affect the various teams; although there were rumors of coaches resigning and athletes transferring
"I have a feeling there is going to be a huge turnaround, not just with the athletes but with the coaches too," tennis coach Maria Malerba said, adding later that it was going to create an "administration nightmare" for the entire department.

Freshman tennis player Margie Zesinger, said she was definitely transferring. "I feel like I'm in eleventh grade all over again," she said holding back tears. "I am looking at a lot of different schools … I don't want to play for a program that is going to turn into club tennis."

Malerba said Zesinger "wants to be in an environment with people who are at the same caliber as she is." Some of the coaches voiced concern about recruiting. They are worried about attracting top players without having scholarship money to offer, and they are also disconcerted about the other implications of the restructuring efforts.

"It is not just about losing scholarship funding, that isn't the only issue — it is just one piece of the pie," said Gwynn Evans, women's swimming coach. "But the overall experience and development that varsity athletes expect to get at the collegiate level will also be compromised."

Evans explained the negative consequences of cutting operating budgets and restricting where teams can travel.

"There is going to be a cut in my operating budget in part because they say I don't have to recruit, but I think I'm going to have to recruit even more and broader than I ever had to before," Evans said.