Brown University Athletes

Brown University athletes can rejoice…temporarily. The fencing, wrestling, and women’s ski teams that were cut got a temporary reprieve (photo credit: Ad Meskens).

In a previous post, we told you about how Brown University administrators decided to eliminate its men’s and women’s fencing, men’s wrestling, and women’s ski teams beginning this 2011-2012 academic year. We told you about how the university has a difficult time attracting recruits from middle-class backgrounds, in part because Brown’s endowment is the smallest in the Ivy League. And we told you how back in 2002 when Dartmouth College decided to eliminate its men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams, students, alumni, and parents fought back. Their fight ended up being successful, endowing the Dartmouth College teams for at least another ten years. It seems Brown University students, alumni, and parents are fighting back as well!

According to the “Brown Daily Herald,” “The men’s and women’s fencing teams, men’s wrestling team and women’s ski team will be allowed to compete through next academic year, wrote President Ruth Simmons in an email to the Brown community Friday afternoon. Simmons’ recommendations to the Corporation about potential cuts of varsity teams will be postponed until the fall.” Simmons also added that Brown still needs to come up with a way to improve financial aid, raise athletic coaching salaries, and reserve fewer spots in its incoming class for recruited athletes.

And so the eliminated Brown University teams have received a temporary reprieve. They’ll be allowed to compete next year. But until a final verdict is rendered, these teams need to keep up the fight. It seems to be working!

Check out the “Brown Daily Herald” article on the Brown teams.