Robert Morris Cutting 7 Sports

Robert Morris University is cutting seven programs to keep the remaining 16 afloat in the Northeast Conference.

Men's indoor and outdoor track, tennis and cross country and women's golf, tennis and field hockey will be phased out following the 2013-14 academic year. 80 student-athletes are effected...

Athletic director Craig Coleman says those moneys will be re-allocated to fund additional scholarships, facility upgrades and increased travel and recruiting budgets.

"Clearly, this is the most difficult decision I've faced as athletic director, and one of the hardest we've had to make as a university. I understand that our student-athletes are very upset by this news, and we apologize for the distress this has caused," said Coleman in a release. "Nonetheless, this is the right decision to ensure that the university's present growth remains sustainable and that our student-athletes enjoy an excellent experience at RMU."

More from the university:

One of the primary reasons the university chose to reduce its Division I sports, according to Coleman, is that RMU has one of the largest budgets in the Northeast Conference (NEC) but spends among the least per student-athlete, owing to the sheer number of sports it offers. With 23 sports, RMU offered more Division I programs than Pitt or West Virginia, for example. Including the sports to be reduced, RMU has approximately 560 Division I athletes on its rosters.

The university considered several criteria in reducing sports: the number of student-athletes; competitive success; academic achievement; cost; the adequacy of facilities; compliance with Title IX; and whether a program was a NEC sport of emphasis. RMU sought to maximize its cost savings while impacting the fewest student-athletes. Money saved will be ploughed back into the remaining Division I sports.

Here's what folks remember the most about Robert Morris in the last year or so...
((HT: WTAE-TV))


The HQ empathizes with the 80...
More when we know more...

Does UK Really Care That They Lost...

((HT: WTVQ-TV))

Apparently, not...

As you see with their appearance in the NIT, they are one and done...
Here's what happened in the 3,500 seat barn at Robert Morris...


It will be interesting to see how many kids will hang around- outside of Nerlens Noel- will go NBA or not...

How many of you had this happening in your NIT pool...???
That's what the HQ thought...

BREAKING: Robert Morris Golf Dome Collapses

((HT: CBSPittsburgh/KDKA-TV))

The golf dome at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center collapsed on Neville Island, Pennsylvania. There were about 10 people inside the dome when it started to deflate, including staff and people using the course.

Here's coverage from the Dome at Robert Morris...


The folks at RMU are investigating the actual cause of the deflation, but eyewitnesses say the roof collapsed in a minute's time. The heavy weather in the area caused the structural braces and air pressure drop - a mini-microburst seems to have created the critical event...

More when we know more...