SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums College, Pro & International Soccer The Citadel may drop Men's Soccer

In an article in The Post and Courier it is reported that The Citadel may drop Varsity Men's Soccer due to budget problems.A final decision is due at the June Board of Visitors meeting.The proposed savings would be $100,000 the first year and $180,000 yearly in the future.

I hate to see this happen because Coach Christy had started building his team with kids from SC.There are already so few opportunities for SC kids to play college soccer in SC,since the bigger more succesful programs seem to look out of state for all their players.An alumni group"Friends of Citadel soccer is trying to raise money and lobby to save the program.

I really understand where you are coming from. I was a soccer player at Charleston Southern University unitl they decided to cut the program. Now I have to find another soccer school that can help me financially out with tuition. I played high school soccer in SC at Wade Hampton High in Hampton, and ever since my senior year soccer has declined dramatically. Hopefully the Citadel wont drop their program because soccer is a fast growing sport in SC. I thought about attending there but decided not too. Dropping a program doesnt just hurt the students, it also hurts the community. Best of luck Citadel!

Les Robinson, The Citadel Athletic Director, has recommended to The Board of Visitors that the men's soccer program be dropped. He states that it is a matter of money and that there is no interest in soccer.

THE FRIENDS OF CITADEL SOCCER are trying to raise the estimated $100,000, which is the soccer budget and is about 2% of total athletic budget, to save the program.

We would like everyone who uses the SCSOCCER.COM Web Site to email Les Robinson in support of the men's soccer program with a copy to Joel Christy, mens coach.

Athletic Director Les Robinson's e-mail address is: les.robinson@citadel.edu.

Head Men's Soccer Coach Joel Christy's address is: christyj@citadel.edu.

I know that many of us emailed or contacted The Citadel athletics director Les Robinson earlier in regards due to the fact that The Citadel is concerning dropping its' men's soccer program.

I received this email back from Coach Robinson via Ann Campbell in the department of athletics:
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Thank you very much for your recent communication regarding The Citadel’s intercollegiate athletics program and our men’s soccer team in
particular.

Please know that our administration has been discussing major cutbacks to our department for several years now. I am certain you are aware
that these are extremely difficult financial times for numerous colleges nationwide that directly affect their intercollegiate athletics
programs.

Over the last two years, the state of South Carolina has reduced 25 percent of our state funding. This has caused The Citadel to consider
drastic measures such as five-percent budget cuts across the board, fee increases, staff salary cuts and eliminating sports.

Many schools have resorted to the elimination of sports. In a recent 10-day stretch, four schools (West Virginia University with an enrollment of 22,774, Fresno State University with 20,013 students, Edinboro University with 8,131 students and the University of Toledo with 20,307 students) announced collectively the elimination of 14 intercollegiate sports.

Although The Citadel remains the smallest public institution in South Carolina (1,840 cadets) and among the smallest in the nation, we have
eliminated only one sport (rifle in 1993) in the past 20 years only to reinstate it in 2000. We are currently only one of two Southern Conference schools that offer teams in all 10 men’s championships.

And while our administration has not yet reached a decision to discontinue any sport, we are researching and studying this situation from every potential angle.

These factors are:

1. Funding ­ the ability to fund salaries, scholarships, operating
budget and team travel;

2. Competitiveness ­ how competitive we are in the sport;

3. Facilities ­ condition and needs;

4. Interest ­ within the Corps of Cadets, Alumni and the Charleston community.

My recommendation to the Board of Visitors was to consider the factors listed above. In order to be competitive, each of these factors must be
addressed, and to have a fair chance to be competitive in the Southern Conference, each area must be a high priority at the institution.

We greatly appreciate your concern over soccer at The Citadel, and rest assured that every consideration regarding our intercollegiate athletics program is being reviewed.

Sincerely,

Les Robinson
Director of Athletics