According to the release, the cheer team will become a club program, meaning scholarships will no longer be offered. The students who are currently receiving scholarships on the athletic teams will have those honored for their remaining time at St. Edward’s, and those who ask to transfer will be given a full and immediate release.
“I am deeply grateful to the coaches who have worked diligently over the years to build nationally recognized and well-respected programs. The coaches and student-athletes in these programs are talented and hardworking, and I respect them immensely," said Debbie Taylor, associate vice president for athletics at St. Edward’s.
With the discontinuation of the six varsity programs, St. Edward’s is left with four varsity men’s sports programs—baseball, basketball, cross-country and track and field—and six varsity women’s programs—basketball, cross-country, soccer, softball, track and field and volleyball. The university also has a varsity co-ed esports team it introduced in the fall of 2019.
While St. Edward's did not give a specific reason for cutting the programs or a reason why the six programs were chosen, the university did generally cite the financial downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
"As the effects of the coronavirus continue to impact every sector of the economy, higher education is no exception," the release reads.
Correction: This story has been updated to include the correct list of remaining women's athletics programs at St. Edward's.
