Lindenwood announced today the decision to discontinue 10 athletic teams.
An email was sent out this afternoon by Lindenwood’s President John Porter to share the news.
“This decision is a result of a thorough assessment of our athletic department’s sustainability, aligning with our commitment to upholding the high-quality academic and athletic experiences that define our university,” President Porter said.
The 10 athletic teams discontinued are:
- NCAA Men’s Lacrosse, effective at conclusion of Spring 2024 season
- NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving, effective at conclusion of Spring 2024 season
- NCAA Men’s Tennis, effective at conclusion of Spring 2024 season
- NCAA Men’s Indoor Track & Field, effective at conclusion of Spring 2024 season
- NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track & Field, effective at conclusion of Spring 2024 season
- NCAA Men’s Wrestling, effective at conclusion of Spring 2024 season
- NCAA Women’s Field Hockey, effective December 1, 2023
- NCAA Women’s Gymnastics, effective at conclusion of Spring 2024 season
- NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving, effective at conclusion of Spring 2024 season
- SLS Men’s and Women’s Cycling, effective at conclusion of Spring 2024 season
This decision was made after the university declared the athletic department to be bigger than it should.
“It was determined that the athletic department, which sponsors 30 NCAA sports, had become too large to sustain the quality of the student experience Lindenwood expects,” Lindenwood said in the FAQ.
Approximately 284 student-athletes are impacted by this announcement, but it will not affect their scholarships at Lindenwood.
“The University will honor scholarships for all student-athletes at Lindenwood who are currently on a discontinued team,” Lindenwood said. “As well as incoming student-athletes who have signed a letter of intent who choose to complete their degrees at Lindenwood.”
According to Lindenwood, the decision is final and it will not be changed.
“Donor support would not impact the final decision. The reduction of these sports was determined by several factors, such as facility considerations, compliance, fiscal sustainability, geographic competition scheduling opportunities, and a comparison of the number of sports sponsored by schools in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).”
In addition to the removal of the 10 athletic teams, it was also announced that nine filled positions and vacant positions were eliminated.
“We are embarking on a broader initiative to rebalance our investments in staffing across various university divisions,” President Porter said. “These decisions, while challenging, support Lindenwood’s continued evolution as we strive to meet the needs of students.”
