We understand you may have questions about the changes in LMU's athletics program. This FAQ section will provide more information about the decision.
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To provide the best student-athlete experience possible in the future, LMU has made the difficult decision to discontinue six intercollegiate sports programs at the end of the 2023-24 competitive seasons. Those sports are: men’s rowing, men’s cross country, men’s track and field, women’s rowing, women’s track and field, women’s swimming.
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Prior to this decision, LMU supported 20 NCAA Division I sports (tied for the most sponsored sports in the WCC) and the most student-athletes in the West Coast Conference. At the conclusion of the 2023-24 seasons, LMU will sponsor 14 Division I intercollegiate sports programs. We anticipate concentrating our resources and efforts on the remaining programs to further elevate their successes and opportunities in the future.
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LMU Athletics current program offerings are not sustainable, and changes are required to realize the university’s goals, including achieving competitive excellence and providing for the best student-athlete experience. A comprehensive and thoughtful evaluation of LMU’s programs was conducted and included various considerations, including, but not limited to:
- Impact on the student-athlete experience across all sports, now and in the future
- Impact of changes to NCAA rules, now and in the future
- Sponsorship of the sport by the WCC and NCAA
- Investments required to fully fund scholarships and to attain greater competitive excellence
- Long-term viability and sustainability of sports programs
- Strategic considerations associated with positioning LMU Athletics more effectively in the future
- Continued legal compliance
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For the six sports combined, approximately 115 student-athletes and five full-time and two part-time coaches are impacted.
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The impacted sports will continue to compete through the conclusion of the 2023-24 competitive season. We will provide various forms of support to assist in this transition, including: (a) we will honor existing athletic financial aid commitments to the impacted student-athletes to complete their undergraduate career at LMU; (b) we will support them through the transition; and (c) we will assist them if they opt to transfer to another institution of their choosing. Under the supervision of LMU Student Affairs, LMU continues to offer club sports; students may choose to pursue club competition options outside of LMU Athletics.
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We understand the potential challenges ahead for the coaches impacted by this decision. They are valued members of the LMU Athletics community, and we are committed to working with each coach through the upcoming transition.
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No. LMU will be at the current minimum of 14 sports for WCC requirements and is not planning to discontinue any other sports programs.
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There is no ideal time to announce changes of this nature. We made the final decision recently and worked diligently to announce these changes as soon as was feasible and to provide significant advance notice to impacted individuals before the changes become effective.
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Under the supervision of LMU Student Affairs, the university will continue offering club sports. The university will continue to support student-led efforts to pursue club competition options.
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LMU has leased the Jane Browne Bove Boathouse in Marina del Rey from the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors since 1966. The university presently plans to maintain this facility under the supervision of LMU Student Affairs.
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No. The LMU Athletic Director made this decision with the full support of university leadership. While we acknowledge that this decision is disappointing, the university is confident that this path supports the best interests of our student-athletes and the goals of LMU Athletics. We continue holding our student-athletes and their coaches in the impacted programs in high esteem, and we honor their lifelong passions, their commitments, and their achievements in these sports.
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While optimizing finite resources is always a consideration, this decision was based on a comprehensive analysis involving various factors and not motivated by a lack of financial resources. In the long term, cost savings will be concentrated on supporting the remaining programs, positioning LMU Athletics for greater success in the future.
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No. This decision was based upon comprehensive considerations, including a rapidly changing NCAA landscape. If the sole factor were budget-related, we would have pursued other alternatives, including fundraising, as a solution.
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More information about the process and decision can be found online at https://lmu.app.box.com/s/58fio2siaoekpjpx92wuebzota009huc/.
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No. NIL is part of the changing landscape of college athletics, but that that is not a primary factor in this decision. If you are interested in learning more about the various considerations involved in this decision, you can learn more by reading Strengthening Competitive Excellence.
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Please email communitysupport@lmu.edu and we will share your message with the colleague best positioned to assist you. Should your question address an issue of broader interest, we will consider adding a version of it (with identifiable information removed) to these FAQs.
UPDATED: 1/29/2024