Is The Loss Of Akron Cross Country Just The Beginning Of The End?

The University of Akron announced last week that it would be cutting Men’s Cross Country along with other programs as cost cutting measures due to COVID related loss of revenues. This seems to be an indicator that MAC sports are in a load of trouble, yesterday Central Michigan University followed in Akron’s footsteps by announcing the dissolution of their Men’s Track and Field Programs.

These cuts are being framed as a response to the global pandemic but when you look at the fiscal figures it becomes clear that these cuts are a last ditch effort to float football programs that are hemeraging money.

It’s common knowledge that most non-power 5 conference athletic departments operate at a loss overall. However, that loss can be overlooked when the amount of athletes enrolled in school more than offsets the costs of funding programs.

What choice do MAC schools have though? They need football to stay conference compliant and have to fit around Title-9 and FBS limitations for which programs they can cut to try and make up the deficit. The easy solution would be to not further invest into an, in Akron’s case, 0–12 football team.