The baseball program at Bowling Green State University has been eliminated, effectively immediately. The school made the announcement on Friday as part of their effort to shave $2 million off the department of athletics budget.
The Toledo Blade indicated the cuts were at least in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The university as a whole is projecting a $29 million shortfall for the next fiscal year. Bowling Green director of athletics Bob Moosbrugger, who is a former Falcons baseball player, said that the move was necessary.
This was a very difficult, but necessary, decision, Director of Athletics Bob Moosbrugger said
“As a baseball alumnus, my heart breaks for the families affected by this decision,” said Moosbrugger. “We will ensure the student-athletes in the program have support during this challenging time. We will honor their scholarship agreements through graduation and, should they pursue their collegiate baseball career elsewhere, we will assist in the process of finding a new home.”
No other sports are being cut at Bowling Green, which will now will sponsor 17 varsity sports. The move affects 34 student-athletes and three coaches. Baseball was Bowling Green’s first school-sponsored athletics team with orgins dating to 1915.
The school says the decision to cut baseball will save $500,000 annually. The Falcons’ baseball program was led Danny Schmitz. He had been at the helm since 1991.
This decision was not made lightly, said BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers
During Schmitz tenure he piloted the program to four Mid-American Conference regular-season championships. Bowling Green went to the NCAA tournament three times during his tenure, most recently in 2013.
“While we remain committed to supporting Division I athletics programs, we must do this in a financially sustainable approach,” said BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers. “We have made the difficult decision to eliminate the baseball program due to financial constraints. This decision was not made lightly, and does not reflect the rich history of the program, including five Mid-American Conference championships and four NCAA regional appearances.”
BGSU also announced the restructuring of the Department of Recreation and Wellness to the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
We have spent the recent days identifying opportunities to align functional areas to share resources and streamline practices, said Rogers
“I have also asked Bob Moosbrugger to assume an expanded role as Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Recreation and Wellness,” said Rogers. “He will now provide oversight for all athletic facility operations and integrate our student recreation and wellness programs to focus on physical wellness of not just our Division I student-athletes, but each student.”
This article was written citing information and media from a BGSU press release. For more college sports, follow us on Twitter @MWSNsports or like our page on Facebook.
