Seven UMd. Sports Cut After Fundraising Efforts Fall Short

Seven of the University of Maryland's sports programs have officially been cut after fundraising efforts to support them came up short, athletics director Kevin Anderson announced Monday.

Men’s and women’s swimming, men’s tennis, women’s water polo, acrobatics and tumbling, cross country, and indoor track have been discontinued effective July 1.

The cuts were made to help the university counter a growing deficit that may reach $4 million by the end of the fiscal year.

"We understand the pain and disappointment this has caused our student-athletes and their families," Anderson said in a statement. "The deliberations of the President's Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics were painstaking."

In order to stave off , teams were required to show significant fundraising progress toward long-term viability. Only one of the eight programs on the chopping block—men's outdoor track and field—collected enough support to continue operating.

"Though a number of other benchmarks must be met for men's outdoor track and field to continue in perpetuity, efforts by supporters, alumni, parents and Maryland Athletics staff have given the program a chance to move forward," the university wrote.

The Baltimore Sun reports that $888,000 was raised for track and field, just shy of the school's $940,000 target.

Swimming and diving raised the next highest amount at $184,716, according to the Sun, but still fell far short of their required sum of $11.6 million.