Student athletes at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh are getting a tangible sense of what proposed state budget cuts mean for their campuses: The school is cutting two men’s sports teams in order to save money.
If passed as proposed, Gov. Scott Walker’s budget plan would cut UW-Oshkosh’s overall budget by $7.5 million.
Although the state budget is in its formative stages in the Legislature, Darryl Sims, UW-Oshkosh’s athletic director, said the men’s soccer and tennis teams will end permanently at the end of next season.
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Sims said team members have very definitive feelings about the cuts.
“(They’re) very disappointed, surprised, angry, frustrated,” he said.
He said similar discussions are happening at other UW campuses.
“Everyone seems to be looking at every way they can address those issues, and athletics is certainly one of those issues that get a hard look at,” he said.
Sims said two coaching positions will be cut, with a total annual savings of $100,000.
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