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Men’s volleyball among 11 sports cut at Stanford

Stanford’s Kawika Shoji sets a ball during a national semifinal against Ohio State on May 6, 2010. AP file photo

The Associated Press

Stanford was already facing some difficult financial choices as it tried to support one of the nation’s largest athletics departments.

The coronavirus pandemic forced a dramatic and painful decision: Faced with a nearly $25 million deficit next year, Stanford became the first known Power Five school to eliminate athletic programs because of the pandemic, announcing Wednesday that 11 of its 36 varsity sports will be shuttered next year.

The school will discontinue men’s and women’s fencing, field hockey, lightweight rowing, men’s rowing, coed and women’s sailing, squash, synchronized swimming, men’s volleyball and wrestling after the 2020-21 academic year. Stanford also is eliminating 20 support staff positions.

“As you can imagine this has been a heartbreaking day for all of us, especially with those student-athletes and coaches involved,” athletic director Bernard Muir said. “We came to this decision only after exhausting all other viable alternatives. It recently became painfully clear we would not remain financially stable and support 36 varsity sports at a nationally competitive level, which is what we desire.”

Among the cuts, the men’s volleyball program has probably the most ties to the state of Hawaii. The Cardinal, often a powerhouse in the men’s volleyball realm, boast several alumni from the islands, including current national team members Kawika and Erik Shoji, sons of legendary University of Hawaii women’s volleyball coach Dave Shoji.

The Shoji brothers, along with fellow Interscholastic League of Honolulu alum Brad Lawson and Spencer McLachlin, led the Cardinal to their second national title in 2010.

“Truly a sad, sad day for the men’s volleyball program at Stanford,” Dave Shoji tweeted Wednesday.

The pandemic shut down sports in March, including the massive revenue-generating NCAA basketball tournaments. With no March Madness, the NCAA was short $375 million scheduled to be distributed to its member schools, which are already facing questions about enrollment levels and tuition shortfalls.

Fall sports like football are still in question for some schools; the Ivy League, hours after Stanford’s announcement, called off all fall sports. But some tough choices have already been made.

At least 171 sports programs from four-year schools have been cut since the pandemic began in the United States, according to research by The Associated Press. Of those disbanded teams, 51 are from 18 Division I schools. One conference in Division II and one in Division III suspended fall sports competitions and at least 18 small colleges across Division III and the NAIA won’t compete this fall.

Stanford’s decision to drop sports is likely the first of many by Power Five schools across the country.

“If it can happen at Stanford, it can happen any place,” Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said. “They’re the broadest, most successful program in the history of college athletics and so to see them drop a third of their program is a shocking thing.”

* The Maui News contributed to this story.

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