(04-12-2017 04:34 PM)TexasTerror Wrote:  

(04-12-2017 12:56 AM)teamvsn Wrote:  Rust definitely stepped UP, going from D3 to NAIA.

I've been to Rust. That was an experience...

Rust is likely utilizing NAIA as a method to cut back on the number of 'team sports' that they had to offer at the Division III level due to enrollment size. Presume they will cut men's volleyball and maybe baseball and/or softball with the move to NAIA.

Not sure they'll fund many scholarships... and perhaps find a landing spot with the GCAC?

Yes, they fit in the GCAC but I've not heard anything official.

Keep in mind that for a private college, athletics is a way of generating (tuition) revenue. Sports are a "profit" center, not an expense. If Rust deems that their current volleyball/baseball/softball athletes would be going there even if their sport didn't exist, they might indeed cut them. Rust's tuition is about $10k, and their room & board about $4k. Let's say they have a 40 man baseball roster. That works out to $560,000 in revenue per year. Surely the coaches and playing field maintenance don't cost that much. Could they afford to see that go?

Maybe they should start football? Assuming a 100 man roster that would be $1.4 million in revenue. Assuming they already have the teaching and residence capacity for 100 extra students, and a location they can rent for practice and games, might that be a good thing for them? Certainly you'd have to offer some scholarships to be competitive on the field, but maybe they aren't worried about competitiveness right off the bat. See what I mean?

Coming at it from another (D2) direction, look at what Stillman did last year. They joined the NAIA and promptly cut all their sports except men's/women's basketball, with the plan of eventually bringing them back. This had the effect of generating a nice clean break with their bloated (D2 rules) athletic department and completely reset the budget. By the end of the summer, they decided to add baseball & softball back immediately. They are rebuilding their program from the ground up, NAIA style. They're competitive too. If they had been eligible this year, their men's basketball team probably would have gotten an at large bid to the national tournament. I just saw that their baseball team beat NAIA #10 William Carey. They are going to love the NAIA. I am hoping they'll reinstate their football team soon.

The NCAA rule and compliance burden is killing smaller schools.