Furman University To Cut Men’s Lacrosse Program

Furman University is planning to cut its men’s lacrosse programs, according to a report by The State and a Tweet by Inside Lacrosse’ Ty Xanders. This is a budget move to save money and cut costs due to the financial hit the school has endured because of the COVID-19 crisis.

Furman put out a press release shortly after the news leaked out online. A portion of the release is directly below:

In an effort to address the unprecedented financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Furman University on Monday announced that it would cut the salaries of the president and senior administrators, implement furloughs and budget reductions, and discontinue the baseball and men’s lacrosse programs.

The university is focusing now on returning in the fall for in-person instruction. Senior leadership and emergency management teams, together with a task force of trustees, have been meeting regularly since January to address both urgent and long-term issues related to the pandemic. They are currently developing a detailed plan to reopen the campus that will be announced in the next few weeks.

“As we all know from our shared experience, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrust us into a global crisis we could not have imagined six months ago,” said Furman President Elizabeth Davis. “We are taking these steps to ensure that our university can thrive and continue to carry out its academic mission at the highest level of quality and engagement.

“Although our fall semester might feel different than usual, I’m looking forward to welcoming first-year and returning students back to campus for a uniquely Furman experience.”

I urge you to read the entire release as Furman provides a great deal of information about further moves that are to come including the school’s plan “to reduce the total number of athletics scholarships by 45 over the next five years, with the reductions spread across multiple sports.”