The University's Board of Visitors approved a resolution June 4 members believe will insure the future stability of the athletics department by developing options like fundraising rather than eliminating teams or creating a tier system.
In April, the 2020 Task Force on Athletics released a report recommending a tiering system for the athletics department, which may have financially hurt smaller teams such as men's golf and wrestling. It also recommended eliminating men's indoor track.
The Board's Student Affairs & Athletics and the Finance committees had the joint responsibility of reviewing the task force report. They rejected the tiering system and the elimination of men's indoor track.
"The Board is not agreeable to tiering or eliminating sports. The Committees want to improve on what we have and not cut back," University Rector John P. Ackerly III said.
The tier system would have organized the remaining programs into four tiers, which would be a guide for future funding and scholarship money for those sports.
"After some careful thought, the Board decided we had no reason why Virginia shouldn't have outstanding athletic teams," William H. Goodwin, chairman of the Finance Committee, said.
University coaches are pleased with the Board's unanimous decision not to eliminate any programs or create tiers.
"This was a big shot in the arm for our program," men's wrestling coach Lenny Bernstein said. "What the task force came out with, they put a lot of time and effort into, but it was misguided."
Bernstein added that once the coaches learned about the task force recommendations, they began contacting Board members and alumni in an effort to keep the Board from passing the recommendations.
Now that the recommendations have been rejected, it is up to the administration to develop alternatives, "which would include fund-raising options that will see to the long-term stability of the University athletic programs," Ackerly said.
Ackerly said he expects the administration to present the Board with options this summer. The Board then will consider the new recommendations.
President John T. Casteen III said the administration is beginning plans on these options, but said they will take time.
While the general feeling about the Board's decision is positive, others worry about the lasting effects of the task force recommendations on the athletic department.
"I'm only sorry [the decision] didn't happen sooner," men's golf coach Mike Moraghan said.
Moraghan said that because of the recommendations, one of his star golfers, Rusty Kennedy, recently transferred to a Texas school.
"His family was so upset, they asked for a release," he said.
Moraghan added that he is pleased with the Board's decision, but he is also worried that people may still think the athletics department is in trouble. "It's going to take a tremendous amount of effort to turn around the damage done by the task force report."
Although the Board rejected the recommendations of eliminating teams and creating a tier system, there were aspects of the report that they intend to implement, Goodwin said.
The task force recommended adding a women's golf team, which Goodwin said the board "whole-heartedly endorses." The task force also recommended redesigning academic advising and student support services for athletes and improving communication between the schools, student-athletes, coaches and advisors; and increasing faculty members' involvement in recruiting athletes.
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