D1 to D3

[KahunaK]

I think this will be a trend going forward- especially among small private schools. If the P5 break away then I think a lot of colleges will review whether having D1 sports programs is worth it. With enrollments declining nationwide, many schools may be forced to go D3. Hartford has seen a 14% over the past five years in enrollment. You see many very small colleges with small endowments just fold.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... vision-iii

https://www.courant.com/sports/college/ ... story.html

[McKinney]

I think this will be a trend going forward- especially among small private schools. If the P5 break away then I think a lot of colleges will review whether having D1 sports programs is worth it.

What even would DI sports look like without the Power Conferences? I guess it'd have the relevance (or lack thereof) of FCS football in the world of college football. Killing March Madness would kill a lot of the draw to college basketball. It's just kind of unimaginable.

[InnervisionsUMASS]

Good for them if it's their best option.

[econalum]

The problem of finances is ESPECIALLY acute for the smaller second to fourth-tier schools in the Northeast. Many tier 1 national colleges are already in D3 - MIT, Tufts, WPI among them locally. And they get attendance at their scale. D1 prestige colleges are also pulling back on athletics spending - like Brown, Dartmouth, and Stanford.

UNH just went through a complete review of their athletic budget and their future and decided to stay D1, but add resources for athletic gifts, and reduce grants-in-aid for some sports. There is also an initiative to bring on more NH in-state athletes, but there is a concern that would reduce people of color on campus.

FWIW - here is the report, which may serve as a model for how other colleges are considering their athletic futures. 100 pages.

https://www.unh.edu/sites/default/files ... _final.pdf

[KahunaK]

Interesting how UNH students pay a boatload of fees compared to UMASS students. I always thought UMASS overdid the athletic fees stuff but compared to some of these schools they look good.

Also, UNH seems to do a great job getting sponsor/endorsement money-especially compared to UMASS-not to mention their peer institutions. Overall UNH looks like they do well but money is still very, very tight. Unless you are getting tv revenue or huge donations (like Maine) you are between a rock and a hard place. Especially if you try to eliminate programs- you get sued by the same guy and have to pay out as much in legal fees as you would have saved (and you have to reinstate the programs anyways)- WOW - what a gig.

[econalum]

UNH is the most expensive state university to attend for in-state students and is also the worst supported by the state legislature.

The fees are terrible. And are that high as the tuition is a very political number to raise each year.

[Sheck]

Unfortunate that this is happening. Yeah yeah academics but come on having D1 sports is a big marketing tool for a university and the best way to engage alumni.

[Quann]

Someone has to step up and end this nonsense. I know this is strictly about more money but at some point these P5 schools have to take a step back and look at themselves. Why do they want to destroy college football and every d1 sport outside football? The mission of college athletics was never meant to be unending growth and consolidation. It depresses me because killing March madness which was probably my favorite sporting event as a kid was unimaginable. I wish NCAA was a legit org with real cache but I have no faith in them.

[Quann]

Re:Hartford move. I read the article. Seems like a hasty short term thinking move and really bizarre considering they just won their conference in basketball and made the tourney. To jump from d1 to d3 is a huge transition. As A UMass fan I’m bummed I don’t like losing any local opponents with a strong basketball program. We really need more good D1 basketball programs in New England, not less in order to keep interest going here.