[BostonCard]

Interesting.  One could think that this was all a great ploy:
  Go through the motions of ending 11 sports. 
  Wind up with a large infusion of cash and a excuse for the number of admissions reserved for athletes.

Remind me not to play poker with these guys.

It is even more subtle than that. If there is little or no pushback, go ahead with the plan and save some money (albeit maybe not much). Then you have more admissions flexibility with the remaining sports. You also don't have to administer these annoying "little" sports that can get you in trouble but can't gain you much public acclaim. Perfect plan, little to no downside to the AD.

What do you mean "admissions flexibility with the remaining sports".  Would the absence of the 11 sports that were eliminated make admissions thresholds in other sports lower?  I am doubtful.

BC

Some of the spots for the 11 cut sports were reallocated to the other 25 sports this year.  All recruit offers in the 11 cut sports were rescinded in July.  Did you notice the high number of football preferred walk-ons this year? The cut women's lightweight crew team didn't get recruits this year but retained varsity crew team got more spots for example.

The football PFO program has always been robust, and it didn't seem any bigger this year than in past years.  I haven't quantified it, so if there are numbers that suggest that we got more preferred walk-ons this year than in the past, that would be evidence that the spots got reallocated, but I don't think that's the case.  It also doesn't make much sense; while it is always really nice when a preferred walk-on gets a scholarship and winds up being a contributor, those cases are relatively few and far between, and don't make much of a difference in the ultimate record of the football team.

That may be different in some other sports, where there is a limit of scholarships so non-scholarship player will play more of a role.  Even then, though, the difference makers will be on a full or partial scholarship, so you are really talking about athletes on the margins.

BC

[BostonCard]

Interesting.  One could think that this was all a great ploy:
  Go through the motions of ending 11 sports. 
  Wind up with a large infusion of cash and a excuse for the number of admissions reserved for athletes.

Remind me not to play poker with these guys.

It is even more subtle than that. If there is little or no pushback, go ahead with the plan and save some money (albeit maybe not much). Then you have more admissions flexibility with the remaining sports. You also don't have to administer these annoying "little" sports that can get you in trouble but can't gain you much public acclaim. Perfect plan, little to no downside to the AD.

What do you mean "admissions flexibility with the remaining sports".  Would the absence of the 11 sports that were eliminated make admissions thresholds in other sports lower?  I am doubtful.

BC

Some of the spots for the 11 cut sports were reallocated to the other 25 sports this year.  All recruit offers in the 11 cut sports were rescinded in July.  Did you notice the high number of football preferred walk-ons this year? The cut women's lightweight crew team didn't get recruits this year but retained varsity crew team got more spots for example.

The football PFO program has always been robust, and it didn't seem any bigger this year than in past years.  I haven't quantified it, so if there are numbers that suggest that we got more preferred walk-ons this year than in the past, that would be evidence that the spots got reallocated, but I don't think that's the case.  It also doesn't make much sense; while it is always really nice when a preferred walk-on gets a scholarship and winds up being a contributor, those cases are relatively few and far between, and don't make much of a difference in the ultimate record of the football team.

That may be different in some other sports, where there is a limit of scholarships so non-scholarship player will play more of a role.  Even then, though, the difference makers will be on a full or partial scholarship, so you are really talking about athletes on the margins.

BC