Valpo Cuts Men’s Soccer, Men’s Tennis Programs
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowValparaiso University is discontinuing its men’s soccer and men’s tennis programs. The university says the cuts will make the institution’s athletics program “more in-line with those of the university’s Missouri Valley Conference colleagues and national peers.”
The discontinuation of the men’s soccer program is effective immediately, while the men’s tennis program will finish out its current season.
The decision comes from a review of the Athletics Department that the school’s Athletics Oversight Committee of the Board of Directors conducted in 2017.
The review found that with 21 Division I teams, Valpo had the most athletic programs of any school in the Missouri Valley Conference and more than the majority of its Division I national peer institutions.
The school says the discontinuation of the two teams will “allow the university to better focus on providing the best possible experience for all student-athletes while providing the best opportunity for competing successfully within the Missouri Valley Conference and the Department’s single sport conferences.”
Student-athletes on athletic scholarship who choose to remain enrolled at Valpo despite the cuts will continue to receive that support through graduation. Per NCAA rules all affected student-athletes will be granted immediate athletic eligibility at their new institutions if they choose to transfer.
“I would like to thank each of the impacted student-athletes and coaches for their contributions to the University and to Valpo Athletics. The student-athletes have represented the university well both in the classroom and in competition and all of their hard work is greatly appreciated. Coaches Mike Avery and Jim Daugherty have guided their programs to success in competition while representing the University and Valpo Athletics in a positive manner both in the community and their profession. I greatly appreciate their years of service to their student-athletes, our department and our university,” said Mark LaBarbera, director of athletics.