Rumors suggest BGSU to end hockey

"Everything is on the table," Bowling Green State University Trustee Michael Marsh said this morning about possible cuts at the university.

He also said that no decision has been made about cutting men’s varsity hockey and that BGSU President Dr. Carol Cartwright has not made any recommendation regarding hockey.

Rumors about the fate of the program have been flying for several weeks and intensified late Tuesday. "I will say that everything is on the table because of the severe financial situation. I’m not one that wants to limit opportunities for young people. The (athletic program) has lost three-quarters of a million dollars this year in spite of our best efforts. That can’t continue. The academic departments know they are in for severe changes and athletics can’t be treated any differently," Marsh said.

He expects the final decision on programs to rest with Athletics Director Greg Christopher. "This will come from the AD. I do not know that the board will have to pass on it, although the board may be consulted. There is no truth to the story that Dr. Cartwright has made a recommendation or that there has been any meeting of the board or any vote."

"It is true there have been numerous planning meetings to try to find ways to fit all of the grains of sand into a bucket that keeps getting smaller.

"It’s not an option that everyone will be happy with the results. Absolutely everything is on the table," Marsh said. He did confirm the trustees have a long-standing retreat scheduled for next week. The focus of that event is to talk about academic programs. The next scheduled meeting of the trustees where action could be taken is April 23.

"We are way beyond not buying paper for copiers to make the budget work," Marsh said. Marsh, whose term on the board ends in mid-May, said it has not "been any fun" to be a part of the budget woes. "We’re talking millions of dollars we have to find."

BGSU spokesman Dave Kielmeyer said Tuesday night that "no decisions have been made whether to cut any university programs, athletics or academics."

All university departments have been asked to develop a variety of scenarios regarding budgets and programs. The school believes it is looking at a funding shortfall of between $6 million and $10 million when the new state budget begins July 1. Cartwright has said that if that figure worsens, cuts in programs will be need to be made.

Falcon hockey head coach Scott Paluch said this morning "no decision I’m aware of has been made." Paluch, who completed his seventh season last weekend, has just one year left on his contract.

Athletics department spokesman Steve Barr and Ice Arena director Buddy Powers, an assistant coach on the national championship team, said they had no knowledge of the decision to cut the program.

Multiple sources within the Central Collegiate Hockey Association said they haven’t heard of BG’s intention to drop the program which dates back to the 1969-70 season.

Since winning the NCAA championship in 1984, the Falcon program has fallen on hard times. BG hasn’t had a winning record overall since 1997 and has had just one winning season in the CCHA in the last 13 seasons, that coming in 2005.

The Falcons have finished last in the league in three of the last four seasons, including records of 11-24-3 overall and 8-19-1 in the CCHA this season. BG hasn’t played in the NCAA playoffs since 1990.

The Falcons are an original member of the CCHA which began with the 1971-72 season. The university recently decided to scrap a $4 million renovation of the Ice Arena, which has become one of the CCHA’s worst buildings. The money was going to be used to replace the arena’s ice-making equipment, repair leaks in the roof and other parts of the building, and improve the facilities’ infrastructure.

The arena received new boards and lighting two years ago and outside of some new paint, it has been largely neglected by the university since the north end seats were added for the 1989-90 season.

Meanwhile, virtually every other school in the CCHA and in the three other major leagues nationally have renovated their arena or built a new facility.

Further fueling the rumors about the elimination of the Falcon program is Cartwright was the president at Kent State when that school terminated its varsity program after the 1993-94 season.

 

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