MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota is dropping men’s indoor and outdoor track and field, gymnastics and tennis because of budget concerns brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
Minnesota President Joan Gabel and athletic director Mark Coyle said Thursday that the athletic department is facing a projected loss of $75 million in revenue for this fiscal year following the Big Ten’s decision to postpone fall sports.
School officials said the elimination of the sports will be effective at the completion of their 2020-21 competition seasons, which the teams will play if “health and safety precautions allow.”
The athletic department is eliminating eight other positions in addition to those that will be cut because of the four programs being discontinued. School officials said that’s part of a personnel cost-reduction that should save $1.3 million this fiscal year.
The 10% salary reductions that Coyle, football coach P.J. Fleck, men’s volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon, men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko, men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino and women’s basketball coach Lindsay Whalen had accepted already will now be extended through the entire fiscal year. That is expected to save about $1.2 million.
