THINGS ARE TOUGH ALL OVER. (although some of these "sports" are clearly superfluous)
Stanford University, which has one of the largest Division I sports programs in the country, is cutting 11 of its varsity sports after the 2020-21 season, citing a financial deficit that became significantly more problematic due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Stanford will discontinue 11 of our varsity sports programs at the conclusion of the 2020-21 academic year: men’s and women’s fencing, field hockey, lightweight rowing, men’s rowing, co-ed and women’s sailing, squash, synchronized swimming, men’s volleyball and wrestling," the university said in a statement, describing the decision as "heartbreaking."
Stanford currently has 36 Division I varsity sports, double the national average. The institution explained that the size of its athletics program had created a financial strain in recent years.