Officials at Stanford University announced the elimination of 11 varsity sports due to an economic shortfall arising from the coronavirus.
In an open letter sent to affected players and coaches on Wednesday, President Marc Tessier-Lavigne said the decision to remove some sports programs from the university was “heartbreaking news.”
“These 11 programs consist of more than 240 incredible student-athletes and 22 dedicated coaches,” the letter stated. “They were built by more than 4,000 alumni whose contributions led to 20 national championships, 27 Olympic medals, and an untold number of academic and professional achievements.”
The 11 programs that will be eliminated by the Cardinals athletics program include men’s volleyball, men’s and women’s fencing, lightweight rowing, men’s rowing, field hockey, co-ed and women’s sailing, squash, synchronized swimming, and wrestling.
In a response on Instagram, Stanford alumnus and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Alexander Massialas said the decision was unfair to athletes who have worked hard to achieve their dreams of playing collegiate sports.
“My heart goes out to all the student-athletes who not only had their seasons cut short by the global pandemic, but are now being abruptly told they won’t be competing anymore,” he wrote. “I’m going to fight with you to keep these programs alive and give young people the opportunity to pursue their athletic and academic goals like I was able to.”
The move comes on the same day that the Ivy League, which includes Harvard and Yale, announced it would forgo fall sports because of the coronavirus.
