Akron announced Thursday that it will eliminate men's cross country, men's golf and women's tennis at the end of the current academic year as a cost-cutting move in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The move affects 23 male and nine female student-athletes and is projected to save about $4.4 million.
Akron will now sponsor 17 sports. The university has been hit particularly hard financially. Last week, it released plans to consolidate 11 of its colleges into five in an effort to make up for anticipated losses of $65-70 million.
"These decisions are very difficult but they are important and necessary at this time," athletic director Larry Williams said in a statement. "This action aligns us with our Mid-American Conference peers in the total number of sports and is part of the ongoing effort to redesign the University to ensure that UA continues to invest in high-demand, high-quality academic programs."