Will the West Coast Men's Varsity Programs Survive?

[Rowcoach]

In 10 years Varsity sport will be professional. At least for the marketable and popular TV sports. The rest will be club or funded by alumni.

[crewu]

the men's varsity programs should be feeling very uneasy with how easily the NCAA is pushing legislation through the system to get rid of the women's NCAA D2 Championships.

FWIW, 15 D2 women's teams, 294 total athletes on the currently posted rosters.

15 women's teams that ADs will have no reason to keep funding.

[Remomex]

In 10 years Varsity sport will be professional. At least for the marketable and popular TV sports. The rest will be club or funded by alumni.

I realize this may be anathema to people in the US, but save for the UK (to a small extent) and maybe 1-2 other places the rest of the world operates on a club sport level. There are no university teams. College athletics don't really exist, at least not at a high level. Athletes choosing to purse sport at a high level - and I don't mean elite, but I mean higher than just messing around a few times a week - join a local club and go from there. That system works just fine elsewhere. Will Olympic sports lose some competitiveness in the US if that happens? Sure. Will it be a huge cultural change? Sure. Will it take many decades to happen? Sure. But I think that's how things will go over time.

If anything it's strange that colleges train our athletes and strange the amount of money they dedicate to athletics when their purpose should be academics/research. Universities/colleges should have no obligation to offer varsity sports, athletic scholarships, or any other type of athletic support to their students beyond what may be deemed reasonable for their recreation and/or health.

[rowing]

1. Offer SCHOLARSHIPS!!!!!
2. Give FINANCIAL AID!!!!!
3. RAISE TUITION!!!!
4. Repeat

[fullmetal]

I thought I heard a rumor that the former Pac-12 men's teams were going to get the MPSF to host a regatta. If the MPSF and other western AQ regattas could co-locate their regattas, that would save on costs.