Xavier University Cancels Rifle!

[Tom SB]

Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio), a NCAA power house in rifle, will be cancelling their program after this season. The rifle team at Xavier has routinely been the best performing and one of the least expensive athletic programs at the University. Despite record enrollments, the University is cutting the team for "budget" reasons. The Xavier Rifle Team has produced two Olympians and and 17 All-Americans since 1990. This is a sad day for college athletics and rifle in particular.

The Athletic Director for Xavier University is Dawn Rogers.

[WRC]

Arrggghhh - here we go again. That's a travesty; not only do they have a beautiful range, fabulous talent, they also have good decent people that go out of their way to help other shooters at their Walsh match.

I'll be there on Saturday - this should be a real trip! Hope they will have the same success stirring up the alumni as West Virginia.

[pdeal]

Anybody close to the program who can post emails and addresses (here on tt) of the president, athletic director, and anyone else who maybe we could contact?

[Guest]

Dawn Rogers
Xavier University
3800 Victory Parkway
ML 7530
Cincinnati, OH 45207

email: rogers@xavier.edu

[JPOC]

Dawn Rogers' office phone is +1.513.745.3417

[JPOC]

From: Engle,Marling P (University of Akron)
Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2004 11:20 AM
To:
Subject: RE: Xavier's in trouble???


All,

I just called Rich Franchak who is the Xavier Associate Athletic Director. Rich is also my former UA Associate Athletic Director. I regret to inform you all the rumors are true. They informed Alan and the rest of the team last night, that this will be the last season for the Xavier Rifle program. Rich informed me the reasons included budget cuts and facility (ventilation) issues. I just short of begged Rich to re-consider to no avail. Rifle is the only program being cut from the athletic program. This makes me sick to my stomach. I told Rich to inform his AD and the rest of his staff to prepare for the fallout. I could not reach the AD, Dawn Rogers (my former boss here at UA) to voice my disagreement with her decision. Below is some contact information:

Mr. Rich Franchak, Senior Associate Athletic Director
513 745-3470

Ms. Dawn Rogers, Athletic Director
513 745-3417
rogers@xavier.edu

Athletics Home: http://athletics.xu.edu/index.cfm

Sincerely,
Newt

[jep]

Greg Park might be a good person to also contact.
email: parkg@xavier.edu
Phone 513-745-3415
^Assistant Athletic Director for Business
From what I heard, he helped Xavier Rifle get a lot of the funding for new equipment etc. and has always been proud of the reputation the rifle team has.

[Guest]

Another person to write to:

Dr. John Kucia
Administrative Vice President
3800 Victory Parkway ML# 4511
Cincinnati, OH 45207

Email: kucia@xavier.edu



The athletic director can't make a decision without his ok, he is a key person to write to

--

[sureshot007]

I heard that every department had to make "sacrifices" in order to make room in the budget for a new building. So why did the athletic department offer up the whole shooting program as the sacrifice? I understand the associated costs of the scholarships, but that aside, can't they cut money elsewhere?

The answer is yes. This is an obvious anti-gun move. Why else would you cut a program that is winning and bring recognition to the school, while at the same time costing less than other sports?

It seems like a domino effect here - big name schools dropping their programs. What can we do to stop this???

[pdeal]

Is it true ( I was going to start with "I heard" but sureshot007 took that one) that canceling rifle took them under the NCAA required 16 sports and so they are going to add a track program instead?

[Guest]

In reguards to the track question, Xavier added mens and womens track before this year started. Although this enabled them to cut a team and still qualify for division one standing, I do not think they added track so that they could cut rifle. If they did, then thats just sickening, as the team did not even know that there was a possibilty it would be cut.

[sureshot007]

I just recieved this email from a former member of the team:

To the Rifle Community:

As many as you know and perhaps some who do not, Xavier University has
announced
it will cease its sponsorship of rifle after this season.

A petition has been created to express our support of the team and ask
Xavier to
reconsider its decision to drop rifle.

The petition can be found at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/XURifle/petition.html

Beyond signing the petition we ask that letters and emails be written to the
below people.
Needless to say is that the future health of NCAA rifle depends on our
ability
to fight these decisions. At this time we are unsure of what action, if
any,
Xavier would require to save the program. We intend to make our voices
heard
and will need the help of the rifle community to show Xavier the value in
continuing to sponsor rifle. As always the letters/emails you write
represent the sport, please be respectful and polite in any correspondence.
We appreciate and thank you many times over for
whatever support you are able to provide. Please distribute this email to
as
many people as possible. Thank you to those who have provided me with email
contacts. Get those letters going!

Michael J. Graham, S.J.
Xavier University President
3800 Victory Parkway ML #4511
Cincinnati, OH 45207
graham@xavier.edu

Dr. John Kucia
Administrative Vice President
3800 Victory Parkway ML #4511
Cincinnati, OH 45207
kucia@xavier.edu

Dawn Rogers
Director of Athletics
3800 Victory Parkway ML #7530
Cincinnati, OH 45207
rogers@xavier.edu

Joseph A. Pichler
Chairman Board of Trustees
3800 Victory Parkway ML #4511
Cincinnati, OH 45207
Lang@xavier.edu

Robert J. Kohlhepp
Board of Trustees
3800 Victory Parkway ML #4511
Cincinnati, OH 45207
Lang@xavier.edu


Sincerely,
Joe Fitzgibbon
Xavier ‘03

[Guest]

Director of athletics Dawn Rogers announced that the University will discontinue its sponsorship of the rifle program effective at the end of the 2004-2005 season. The 2005 NCAA Rifle Championship runs from March 3-12.

“The University Strategic Planning Committee is concluding its work planning the future direction and priorities for Xavier,” says Rogers. “Part of that process required University divisions to look within their current budgets and identify substantial funds to be cut and reallocated to fund new University and department initiatives. After careful and complete consideration of all possible solutions and deliberation and consultation with President Mike Graham and Vice President John Kucia, I have made the decision to discontinue men’s and women’s rifle as an intercollegiate sport at Xavier.

“This decision has been extremely difficult for all of us. We feel for the student-athletes and the alumni and truly appreciate the outstanding manner in which the rifle program has represented Xavier University over the years.”

Currently, Xavier sponsors rifle as a mixed sport for both men and women and is one of 18 schools nationwide that does so. Seven schools sponsor rifle as a men’s sport and 11 sponsor rifle as a women’s sport. A total of 36 schools sponsor rifle as a varsity sport.

Xavier has qualified for the NCAA Rifle Championship in every year since 1990 and is one of only two teams to finish in the top-five in that event in each of the last five years. Xavier rifle’s best showings are a pair of runner up finishes in 2003 and 2000.

Under head coach Alan Joseph’s guidance, 17 Xavier rifle shooters earned a total of 51 All-American awards. The program also produced two Olympians. Jason Parker, Class of 1996, competed in both the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games and Thrine Kane, a 2003 graduate, competed in the 2000 Olympic Games.

“All nine members of the rifle team will continue to receive their athletically related financial aid and, should they wish to transfer, will be given immediate permission to contact other rifle programs,” says Rogers. “I am hopeful that a good number of those young men and women decide to stay at Xavier. We will give these student-athletes our full support as they have just learned of this decision.”

[Guest]

These articles below appeared in NEWSWIRE. Xavier's school newspaper:


The Xavier rifle team has been discontinued following the 2004-05 season due to departmental budget cuts.

“Last year the university, in the strategic planning process, decided each department on campus was to reduce 3-5 percent of their budget, in essence, to give back to the university for strategic initiatives,” said athletic director Dawn Rogers.

According to Rogers, the athletic department considered every available alternative to discontinuing the team.

“We looked at any different way to reduce our budget; every expense line was reviewed,” she said.

The athletic department considered cutting funds from each program in order to reduce three percent of their total budget, but they found that to be impractical.

“When you look at what it would do to other programs, it would put us at a competitive disadvantage,” Rogers said.

A majority of the teams are already operating at a minimum possible budget, according to Rogers.

Further cutting their budgets would make it difficult for them to schedule a significant number of matches, travel outside the region, and possibly create scheduling difficulties.

“The teams are performing extremely well in the conference with less resources than other schools,” Rogers said.

In order to meet their three percent budget reduction, the department decided to discontinue the rifle program.

“Obviously that has been an extremely difficult decision. Anytime you discontinue a sport it’s tragic for the students, for the alumni, and for the entire department as well,” she said.

“This was a really difficult decision, and for me personally, I’ve known a number of the rifle student athletes through the student athlete advisory council.”

“While I defend my decision because it’s one I had to make, it’s not one I liked to have to make. I feel for them. They have represented the university well and they are great students. They’re great young men and women.”

“In the long run strategic initiatives will move the university forward but for those student athletes it’s something that hasn’t been fair for them,” Rogers said.

The final decision was made over the summer, around the transitional period when Rogers took over the role of athletic director.

The rifle team has found support from alumni, the Student Government Association and, even those outside the Xavier community.

There is a petition with over 1500 signatures circulating on the internet asking the university to reconsider its decision.

“Everyone is shocked about it. It’s not just at Xavier,” said senior Hannah Kerr.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on being the underdog. Until this happened not many people knew there was a rifle team. And we bring home a trophy from the NCAA’s every year,” Kerr said.

Xavier is one of only two rifle teams in the nation to finish in the top five in the last five NCAA Tournaments and had 17 shooters win 51 All-American honors. The team can also boast two 2000 Olympic shooters and one 2004 Olympic shooter.

In light of this success, the team was shocked that their program was discontinued.

“It was something no one would have ever expected. Other teams have been shut down, but their programs weren’t as successful as ours,” Kerr said.

“We sacrificed other schools to come here. Some of us turned down full scholarships to come here,” junior Alice Reed said.

None of the team members live near Cincinnati. All moved five to fifteen hours from home to attend Xavier and be part of the rifle program.

“All of us have been shooting since we were little. We didn’t have a life, it’s all we’ve ever done, “ said freshman Ashley Skeuse.

“Since I started shooting, this is where I wanted to go to college,” she said.

According to Rogers, the students are free to transfer to other schools to continue their shooting competition, though they will still receive their athletic aid if they choose to remain at Xavier.

“The juniors don’t really have a choice. For the sophomores, it’s a fifty-fifty decision. The freshmen are really the only ones with a real choice,” said Reed.

The team had been recruiting for next year when they were informed there wouldn’t be a team.

“Two of the best recruits in the nation were going to come here. They had met with admissions and everything,” Skeuse said.

One potential recruit had met the team and toured campus with team members the day before they were informed of the athletic department’s decision.

“In recruiting, a big thing they sold to the freshmen was how solid the program was and how it wouldn’t get dropped,” said freshman Daniel Ault.

Rogers informed the Student Government Association of the decision at the Senate meeting on Nov. 29.

“The only real reason she gave us was that it was due to department wide budget cuts. When we asked how it affected other teams or what else could be done, she kind of ignored or skated around the topic,” said Senator junior Crystal Fry.

“When she talked to us it was a different story from when she talked to the team,” Fry said.

The team has explored the possibility of becoming a club sport, but any decisions for the future have been put on hold until a later date.

If they did become a club sport, the team could not compete in NCAA competitions at the level they are qualified and accustomed to. They would also have to use different practise facilities.

“SGA has heard from all key administrators involved in the termination of the rifle program.

“More so, we have heard from the members of the rifle team and countless students who strongly disagree with said decision,” said SGA President senior Andy Gibson.

“SGA, while recognizing the reasoning behind the administration’s decision, also strongly disagrees with the decision to terminate Xavier’s most decorated and arguably most successful varsity sport, our rifle program,” Gibson said.


____________________________________________________
OP-ED


Last week I received in the mail the 2004 President’s Report titled “Changing Lives in the Jesuit tradition.”

It details Xavier’s strategic plan for the next ten years. In his report to the Xavier community, Father Graham states his “central strategy will be to enhance the learning environment, especially as our students see it, experience it, live it.”

The day before receiving the President’s Report, a letter from Athletic Director Dawn Rogers arrived which informed me that the Xavier rifle team would no longer be part of Father Graham’s central strategy.

The most successful team in school history would be discontinued following the 2004-05 season. The Xavier rifle community was informed of the decision based on a mandate from the Strategic Planning Committee, which required the Athletic Department, along with all other departments at Xavier, to trim their budgets and allocate those funds towards the new Strategic Plan.In discontinuing its rifle team, Xavier loses a nationally-known and ranked program and it loses the entire Xavier rifle community who have generated tremendous goodwill for Xavier.

We have spread the Xavier name throughout the country and were proud to represent the university and its ideals. The rifle family has actively supported Xavier because we are all aware and thankful for the role our Xavier experience had in shaping and changing our lives.

Next time you see us at the Cintas Center, perhaps visiting campus or at alumni events, ask us about our experience at Xavier and you will realize the power of the Xavier mission and the ideals our university strives to impart upon its students.

What you will hear from us is that Xavier has delivered on its mission, to engage and form individuals intellectually, morally and spiritually with rigor and compassion towards lives of service and success.

We came to Xavier, from all over this country, for the experience the university offers and what Father Graham states as “our central strategy.” Through the rifle team, this goal of enhancing students’ learning experience was being realized.

As a recent Xavier graduate, I am grateful for the opportunity Xavier provided — to gain an education, to be part of an NCAA team, and for introducing me to my second family, the Xavier rifle team.

Knowing that future generations and the current team will not have that same opportunity at Xavier and in the sport is extremely disappointing, especially coming from a university hoping to accomplish a mission that Xavier rifle is proof that it already has.

Joe Fitzgibbon
Class of ‘03


____________________________________________________
OP-ED


As President Graham so eloquently states in his 2004 President’s report, “Lungs run on air, cars run on gasoline and universities run on the annual fund.”

Contrary to Father Graham’s opinion, I would think universities should run on its students. It is through it’s students that a university creates its identity.

The students and alumni who represent a university portray its image in communities across the country. I was always under the impression Xavier’s mission was to educate and provide the best possible experience for its students.

I understand a university’s need for fundraising, but not when it comes at the expense of its students.

I am referring to our nationally-ranked rifle team who were recently told they would be disbanded as a result of budget cuts related to the next fundraising campaign.

When I initially learned about the rifle team being unceremoniously dropped, it was the first time I had ever been embarrassed to be part of the Xavier community. In its rifle team, Xavier possess an intangible asset that has represented this university in extraordinary fashion and portrayed Xavier in so many positive ways.

The rifle team has given us Olympians, Academic and Athletic All-Americans, NCAA Championships and multiple NCAA trophies that other teams can only dream about.

More important is the extraordinary students the rifle team has brought to this university and the positive image of Xavier they have conveyed to their communities once they graduated.

As a member of the Xavier community, I have read about the accomplishments of our rifle team and was proud Xavier was represented by this group.

What does it say about a university that turned its back on a program that has brought it so many positive benefits?

It tells me Father Graham is more concerned about providing money for the annual fund than he is about the educational experience of his students.

Do not expect to see my contribution to the annual fund or to any future fundraising efforts as long as Xavier chooses to sacrifice its students, as it has with its rifle team, for a few extra dollars.

Xavier used to be about more than Father Graham’s analogy between annual fund money and gasoline for your car.

I ask Father Graham and the rest of the Xavier administration to show me it still does by reversing this decision.

Charlie Samuels
Class of ‘93

[XUFAN1]

These are some interesting comments about Xavier's decision to cut the team from a Xavier forum:

http://www.musketeermadness.com/chatboa ... osition=10


Message by mtax on 11/30/04 at 3:05 pm
Location: Not Given Joined: 01/05/03 Posts: 72

This decision has smelled from the get-go. To summarize, you take a program that 1) is a team with members of both sexes participating equally against like teams from other universities (great for title IX); 2) is nationally successful; 3) is nationally recognized; 4) whose results are carried in the local papers more often than the swimming teams’; 5) has produced 17 All-American athletes; 6) has produced two Olympic athletes; 7) represents not only us, but the U.S.; 8) brings positive recognition and outstanding publicity to Xavier; 9) brings top-notch students to the university; 10) is probably not that costly; and 11) is a good recruiting tool among hunting and military families; and you weigh that against

a) "cost-saving measure in compliance with university-wide fund reallocation initiatives"; b the fact that no one at X wants to discuss it (from what others have said in previous posts); c) the fact that Xavier has refused to look at other options (also from previous posts); d) the fact that Xavier will still be sending the baseball team to Florida for extended spring-training schedule; e) the fact that this makes our new A.D. Dawn Rogers look bad; f) the fact that it makes her predecessor look bad for dumping this task on her; g) the fact that no cost justification is supplied with announcement; and h) the fact that no meaningful logic is supplied with announcement; and you get a situation that does not reflect well on the university nor its administrators.

Others, of course, could say that this shows the university is taking proper measures to get everything in tip-top shape and there is no need to keep the schools donors informed. That could be the case, but I’m on a roll. The decision reeks of political correctness, as has been suggested earlier. This elimination of the team is truly a pity considering Xavier’s proud tradition of the Reserved Officers Training Corps. It’s possible that there are a few remaining sixties-protestor types still in the administration who have been energized by our freeing of the Afghanistanis and Iraqis from oppressive regimes. I was going to suggest that the university might have other designs on the shooting range, as a second viable reason; but, unless they are also going to do away with ROTC, this could not be the case. It just defies logic to eliminate something that has only been a positive to the university. A further thought – maybe students are refusing to come to Xavier because we have a rifle team, and enrollment is taking a hit! From all the reports we get, that is certainly not the case.



An Insiders Perspective
___________________________

Message by muskieman on 11/30/04 at 4:05 pm - forum moderator
Location: United States Joined: 02/11/02 Posts: 1752

First, let me say, I am a big supporter of the rifle team and its mentor Greg Parks.

I know that they (AD department) was given a order to try to look like a lean machine before they(the school) announces the next BIG fund raiser for the school, also that the number of schools that have rifle teams has dwindled each year to such a low number that it is difficult to get a full schedule also more schools are leaving or are thinking of leaving this sport and none have joined in the last few years. You can only play ARMY so many times a year. True the cost are minimal if you look at the budget but the AD department has had a lot of red ink the last few years and a dollar is a dollar(not my feelings). As for the Mike B. vs Dawn doing this, look at it this way, Mike is in fund raising and how do you go out and ask for money, when you cut a sport that has been so successful, or how do you ask for money from some donors who keep saying, "WHY are you asking for more money, why don't you cut the fat from the budget. Every department has been asked to cut somewhere and so the AD did it in a sport that does not have a chance to bring in money and does not have a viewing audience.

Just giving what I have heard.

[Guest]

Thanks for all the updates. Glad this issue is not going away.

For all the rifle team "costs", the athletic dept could just turn off stadium lighting for a few nights and recoup the dollars. It's literally a drop in the bucket.

[topshot]

also that the number of schools that have rifle teams has dwindled each year to such a low number that it is difficult to get a full schedule also more schools are leaving or are thinking of leaving this sport and none have joined in the last few years.

I may have to register for that forum just to dispel this BS. The reason XU had to cut back their schedule was they were required a few years ago to travel in charter coaches so to pay for that they had to reduce the number of away matches. How ridiculous is it to use a 45 passenger bus to transport 10 people??? How many other sports are not filling the busses?

The few schools that have left sort of had valid reasons. Canisius dropped all their sports and Duquesne tore down the building their range was in. Wofford, Citadel and Nebraska have joined recently and Michigan State is working on starting a team.

[Guest]

Buses are not the issue nor is the team’s annual operating budget.

XU rifle's annual operating budget is not large, although it has dramatically increased in the past few years thanks to tremendous support from inside athletics (Greg Park). The rifle teams operating budget is a lot less than other Division I schools because Xavier is not paying for a full-time coach in its budget.

The issue is two-fold: Xavier's range requires a major renovation. Xavier was balking at the price tag for it (in the six figure area). Cutting the team gets the renovation issue off Xavier's back. With the team gone they don't have to worry about funding the renovation project.

The second part of this is that Xavier was not going to commit a huge capital expense on renovating the range if they can't be guaranteed NCAA rifle will be around for the next 25 years. Is this enormously selfish, yes, but Xavier is not going to make a substantial capital investment without some sort of return. In Xavier's eyes NCAA rifle is a stagnant sport with future NCAA status in question. Xavier does not make risky business decisions and in their view allocating huge sums of money to renovate the range was a risky proposition. They would rather spend that money elsewhere to make an investment that will benefit the University in the long term. Xavier did not believe renovating the range would be in its long term interest because they are unsure if competitive NCAA rifle will be around that long.

If the health of NCAA rifle were better I believe Xavier would have committed the dollars toward renovating the range and we wouldn’t be having this discussion. With Xavier nixing the range renovation project the team was cut under the guise of general budget cut backs.

The above maybe blunt and not the nicest things to say about our sport but that is Xavier’s perspective. One can argue Xavier’s opinion about the future of NCAA rifle but its one other schools will take if they are faced with a similar situation Xavier was in.

[Guest]

Just to clarify one thing: There were general budget cut backs (3%) but I believe the athletic department would have made the cuts elsewhere or found another alternative if the renovation project was approved.

[Guest]

So they couldn't just be a winning air rifle team until the range issues get resolved? Doesn't the ROTC have a stake in the range too? Or is dropping ROTC next?

Seems someone in the XU administration isn't being real "christian" about the reasons, eh?