Recommendation to drop men's soccer called 'disgraceful'

[TOWSON] Towson University in suburban Baltimore became the latest Division I program to consider plans to drop men’s soccer. The recommendations announcedTuesday is part of a reorganization that also calls for the elimination of the baseball program, the return of men’s tennis and an adjustment in roster sizes of other men’s and women’s sports and willsave $800,000 a year.

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Towson athletic directorMike Waddell says the goals are to keep the athletic program competitive, financially stable and compliant with federal law.

Waddle’s move came infor criticism from former Tiger soccer player Danny Skelton, the St. Paul’s boys soccer coach who said Waddell told soccer alumni last spring their support willhelp keep the program alive and the alumni did indeed raise money for the program with a budget of $310,000.

“In retrospect,” Skelton told the Baltimore Sun,”it almost seems that Mr. Waddell had his mind made up well before he even met with the alumni and that our efforts were in vain,” he said. “I shudder to think how I will need to explain to my twosmall children years from now why the soccer program that daddy played for no longer exists. It is disgraceful. The most difficult part for me and many of my fellow alumni is the fact that the soccerprogram has had a great deal of success over the course of its history, and when compared to the success of the other programs, who, by the way, are fully funded, there is no comparison at all.”

The day after the announcement, the Tigers went out and beat defending CAA champion Delaware, 3-2.

Towson is the second Mid-Atlantic Division I school to announce plans to dropmen’s soccer next season.

Richmond will drop men’s soccer in a move related to its decision to make men’s lacrosse a varsity sport.
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