D1 athletics is a business? Careful there. Businesses are in operation for one reason and one reason only. Profit. Any other reason is pure bull. Is the baseball team profitable? Has it ever been profitable? Is it projected to ever even break even? Are any sports profitable at UNC-G? Yes there is much more to it than "D1 is a bussiness." D1 Texas, UNC, Ohio State ect IS BIG BUSINESS. The mid majors and below have other reasons to have athletics and they should. The university's mission is more than profit margins of the athletic teams. One of the many factors is does it enhance the overall college experience? There, is where many of the minor sports programs live. It is an enhancement of the overall college experience.
Yes, it bothers me wrestling was dropped. A great dea in fact. I'm a former college wrestler (MANY moons ago). So, yes it hits home. But there is far more at work here than dropping the wrestling team. Wrestling is being dropped at the college level at an alarming rate, fact. Ya, know what else is being dropped at an equalling alarming rate? Yep, baseball. Why? It would take all day to go over all the factors, but a big reason is tittle 9. Why baseball and wrestling? They both have large squads of males. Both teams usually have 35-40 rostered. That is hard to balance for tittle 9. One other item baseball must overcome is cost. Baseball is an expensive sport. Coaches and equpment, fields, stadium upkeep. I do not have an easy answer to the epidemic of sports being dropped all across the nation at the collegiate level but we better pay attention. There is more to college athletics than football and basketball. Because wrestling was the program dropped THIS TIME at UNC-G is not the "alls well" sign for the other programs. Using business as your metaphor, if you work for a large company with many divisions (athletic department with many teams) and you hear the "widget" division is being shut down for budget reasons and free up cashflow does this make you feel any better about your equally revenue draining "umpalumpa" division? ALL minor sports (sports not called basketball and football) better take heed and go forward with eyes wide open. Wrestling today, who tomorrow?
As far as how the wrestling program was dropped, you were close with your recant with much of what you stated. As far as me being "quick" I referred to UNC-G "just dropped wrestling." Its a relative term. I "just" stumbled across this thread exposing the UNC-G baseball program's issues and thought it to be relavent to a potential student athlete. I know my daughter "just" declined her acceptance into UNC-G once I told her I would not foot the bill for her to enroll in this institution. Any school that would employ and stand behind an AD with Ms. Record background and current actions is not the school I want my kids attending. By the way, my son is not and will not be directly affected by UNC-G's decision to drop wrestling. As a young high school freshman he still has a dream of playing college baseball (not UNC-G).