As a 2005 graduate of Ohio University and a varsity track athlete, I am outraged and disgusted with President McDavis and Athletic Director Hocutt due to the recent decision to cancel women's lacrosse, men's swimming and diving and men's track and field. This decision is not only failing to support current student-athletes in their pursuit of excellence, but it is also betraying to the thousands of alumni who are a part of the rich athletic history that has helped make Ohio University what it is today.
Consider alumni such as Coach Elmore Mo Banton, who served as the varsity track and field and cross country head coach for 23 years, who was the first African-American to be made a head coach at Ohio University in 1980 and who also was the National Cross Country Champion in 1964 while he was enrolled as a student at OU; athletic tradition truly does run deep at our beloved Harvard on the Hocking. The betrayal of this decision cuts even deeper; not only did McDavis and Hocutt both vow to support varsity athletics at OU, but they vowed to build on tradition and to make a commitment to excellence.
This quote comes directly from President McDavis' inauguration address:
If our goal is to become a nationally prominent research university
then we need to leave no stone unturned in our effort to capture the attention and imagination of our audiences. So we will work to gain more positive recognition of our athletic programs as a strategy to increase the national visibility of our university. Ohio University athletics has a strong and proud tradition. When we build on that tradition the entire university benefits. Thus
we intend to elevate the stature of our athletic programs and our student-athletes.
This quote was released on the university's Web site as a description of Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt:
Kirby has the highest professional and personal qualities and possesses the commitment to excellence that is necessary to ensure our athletics program reflects the quality of the university as a whole. Ohio University remains committed to academic and athletic excellence.
President McDavis was a walk-on track athlete his freshman year at OU and Athletic Director Hocutt was a student-athlete at Kansas State. These two men have chosen to turn their back on the importance of Ohio University athletics; it is evident that their mission as individuals is weak and undermined. In an effort to save a few bucks, both McDavis and Hocutt have betrayed their responsibility to the university and their mission to support all athletic programs equally; the students will suffer at the hands of this decision and so will the reputation of the institution. This is a terrible decision for the university. With three major athletic programs being canceled, it is obvious that the overall quality of the university is declining and that the strong and proud traditions are being forgotten.Chad Lutz is a 2005 graduate of Ohio University.
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