On Campus

Wildfred Laurier cuts funding for eight varsity teams

Golf, rugby, figure skating, cheerleading and baseball will be pay-to-play

According to The Record, Wilfrid Laurier University has decided to cut funding for eight of the schol’s less-popular varsity teams.

“If they are going to chop our budget, then the team is dead,” says volunteer golf coach Mike Belanger, who says he’s put about $30,000 of his own money into the team to keep it afloat. “We’ve donated our time and money for years to keep our costs down. I just don’t think we’d be able to cover and manage the whole thing on our own.”

Earlier this year, the university’s administration asked all departments to trim spending by five per cent this year and six per cent next year as the university tries to cut its operating budget by about $25.7 million.

Although the athletic programs will still be offered in the fall, golf, men’s and women’s cross-country running, men’s and women’s rugby, figure skating, cheerleading and baseball will be pay-to-play starting in the fall.

According to the school’s athletic director Peter Baxter, those cuts will save the school about $380,000.

For more on this story, click here.

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.