St. Cloud State to end football, golf programs in 2020

Published Dec. 10, 2019 4:59 p.m. ET

ST. CLOUD, Minn., (AP) — St. Cloud State University in Minnesota plans to end its football and golf programs to comply with a Title IX court order and manage its budget shortages.

The moves were announced Tuesday and will start next fall.

They will affect about 115 student athletes, seven coaches and two graduate assistant coaches, St. Cloud State President Robbyn Wacker said.

Men's soccer will be added to keep the program in compliance with NCAA rules, the St. Cloud Times reported.

St. Cloud State must comply with a federal court's August order in a Title IX lawsuit by balancing the opportunities and benefits it offers female and male students in the athletic program.

The school anticipates a $5.1 million budget deficit for the 2020 academic year. Athletic budgets have struggled under declining student athletic fees tied to declining student enrollment and increasing costs, Wacker said.

The school eliminated six athletic programs in 2016, which led to a lawsuit by athletes claiming the university violated Title IX, the federal law that bans sex discrimination in educational programs.

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