Tennessee Tech to Cut Rifle

[Soupy44]

Just got a message from a friend at Tennessee Tech with a link to the following article which talks of how the hit of the economy has forced the athletics department to make this cut.

http://www.ttusports.com/releases/2009- ... tructuring

[Oz]

I hope that the group decides they can continue on as a club! The University of Utah has several national titles and collegiate medalists (in pistol), all done via club status.

Oz

[Guest]

Within the Tennessee Tech release is this little chestnut:

In keeping with NCAA and Title IX requirements, the university will continue to field 14 sports teams, and the student-athlete gender participation rate will continue to be proportionate to the university’s undergraduate student population. Scholarships will also remain budgeted according to Title IX standards.

The politics of gender equity is yet another reason why having collegiate shooting become an exclusively club status sport is probably inevitable -- and probably will be good for wide-spread competition at the college level. I'm looking forward to the results of the club championship at Purdue.

[Brucy]

Within the Tennessee Tech release is this little chestnut:

In keeping with NCAA and Title IX requirements, the university will continue to field 14 sports teams, and the student-athlete gender participation rate will continue to be proportionate to the university’s undergraduate student population. Scholarships will also remain budgeted according to Title IX standards.

The politics of gender equity is yet another reason why having collegiate shooting become an exclusively club status sport is probably inevitable -- and probably will be good for wide-spread competition at the college level. I'm looking forward to the results of the club championship at Purdue.

Does this mean that in effect if you cannot get enough female members on to the team it risks being demoted to club status?

[jmkwyo]

It is only a female team if there are 100% female athletes. There is no co-ed team in the eyes of the NCAA. Title 9 has effected quite a few rifle teams (at least it was used as an excuse).

[2 cents]

Can anyone tell me if TTU had its own range? If so..might this mean the range can no longer be used by a club team. Or will TTU charge the club a usage fee which will in effect close the range down? How about the equipment? The rifles and all the rest? TTU was once a powerhouse in rifle. So I guess it no longer has the cachet it once had as NCAA champs years running. My college team got booted out of its range citing the need for classroom space even though several new campus building were in various phases of construction. The powers that be just cut up the backstop, ripped out the mototized carriers during the summer and forced the still varsity team to shoot off campus ( 10 miles+) at a local club range for 1 year. It drop varsity status to club status due to lack of participation (no kidding! off campus range, with a student dorm population the VAST majority of the student body..with VERY limited parking on campus..freshmen and 2nd year sudents HAD to live on campus NO WONDER). Then the club died too..

[Soupy44]

A far as I know, they have their own range with electronic targets and a pretty good supply of equipment. The two guys I know who go there have their own equipment though.

[Brian Carstensen]

They do have their own range with electronic targets as far as their budget i wouldn't know about that i would be willing to guess though and say its not much more than any other team in the OVC which is not hugh to say the least.

For the amount of money we have we do pretty well. Their range is part of their football stadium i think they may share it with ROTC not sure on that one. It horrible what they did to the team...i know one guy transfered there to shoot and now thats gone and he will be a senior this year.

With Tech dropping rifle there are only 4 teams left in the OVC conference competing for the rifle championship. If it gets any less the other schools may decided to drop their rifle program as well...

[ZD]

This cut seems to me purely political. I had issues with this for my High School Team in Washington state, and we and another school were being cut to make it appear that the district was cutting their budget. Reality wise, we were a nominal cost to the district, and we were not receiving student body funds even though we paid them. We fought the cut successfully, and we checked the district on a lot of statements said about why we were not being allowed to operate. However, the catch was our coaches would no longer be paid (not that they were getting paid much) and that we would have to be cost free. We raised some money, and than applied for NRA grants (the other high school did that the previous year). Tennessee Tech should see if they can apply for NRA grants, as it would be a waste to shut the range down and the shooters. Unfortunately, this will not help the lack of an NCAA status. As for the Tennis team, that is a joke, since Tennis is a low cost. Maybe Tennessee Tech should cut the football coach's salary for example, and the president's.

[Save TTU Rifle]

To Whom It May Concern,



On Thursday April 8th Tennessee Tech University announced that the Rifle team was going to be indefinitely “suspended”, effective July 1st. There was no inkling throughout the season that the team was in jeopardy, and the decision came as a shock to all those who have been involved in the program, especially with the recent installation of a new electronic target system. The athletic department cited financial difficulties as the reason behind the “suspension” and stated that it was purely a business decision where all options were taken into account. The athletics department has announced that they will continue current scholarships for one year, and will still allow members to apply for fifth-year or summer aid for the upcoming year. They have also stated that they would be happy to help any of the athletes in the program to transfer to rifle teams at other schools if that is what they desire. Members of the team with more than one year until graduation will not be able to finish their degrees with athletic scholarships at TTU.



Founded in 1953 at the then Tennessee Polytechnic Institute, the TTU rifle team quickly started making a name for itself. The team has a rich history, and has made a huge impact on shooting sports in America and on Tennessee Tech University. The team won the first three NCAA titles after the sport was added, and took individual Air Rifle and Smallbore Championships in the early years. The Team has competed in many NCAA championships, up to recent years. TTU rifle has had members recognized at least 88 times for First team All American, 5 of which were for pistol events, and even more second team and honorable mentions. TTU rifle team alumni have competed in 5 Olympics in: Los Angels, Seoul, Sydney, Athens, and Beijing. Rod Fitz-Randolph was also selected for the 1980 Olympic Team however did not compete due to the United States Boycott of these Games. Notably Ed Etzel took the gold metal in 50m Prone in the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Alumni from TTU Rifle have also won 5 World Cup shooting events, competed 23 times in World Championship events with individual and team victories. Team members competed 12 times in Championships of the Americas, and 8 times in Pan American Games with some victories. Tech Rifle Alumni have represented the United States in many other international competitions as well.



We feel that with such a long and decorated past, the Tech Rifle team legacy should live on and other competitors should have the opportunity to be part of this legacy. We appreciate support, and good wishes. If you have any ideas on how to save the Tech Rifle Team, please let us know



Sincerely,

savetturifle@gmail.com



University Administration contact information as listed on http://www.tntech.edu



Director of Athletics University President

Mark Wilson Dr. Robert Bell

931-372-6306 931-372-3241

MWilson@tntech.edu RBell@tntech.edu



http://www.herald-citizen.com/index.cfm ... B5E7A2C466



http://www.herald-citizen.com/index.cfm ... B5E7A2C466

[Guest]

Yah, well, looks like the die has already been cast just as it was with the demise of Rifle at Xavier in Cincinnatti. All the same excuses, all the same lies, all the same honor roll of Olympians and champions, but no one with the desire to make it right again. Perish the thought that men's football or basketball would have to share a bit. What a sorry shame.

[Guest]

Not to excuse cutting rifle, but the fact is that men's football and basketball pay for every other sport. Without them there would be no volleyball, wrestling, swimming, running, fencing - you get the idea. There would be no need to talk about gender equity, because without these cash cows there would be equity at zero. (My own opinion here is that football and basketball have corrupted the concept of student athletes and that colleges would be better off it they were drastically scaled back, but that isn't going to happen, either.)

Rifle as a competitive sport is ill suited to high-level college competition. The pool of competitors (both individuals and schools) is small, the infrastructure requirements are large, the politics of firearms on campus are nigh insurmountable. I don't expect NCAA Rifle to last another decade. It would be nice, however, if club-level competition would continue.