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Miller: UND in unique position with sports offerings
TL;DR
UND has announced the cut of men's and women's tennis due to the evolving landscape of Division I athletics, which has necessitated a reevaluation of resources. Athletic director Bill Chaves highlighted the financial pressures from NIL and revenue-sharing models affecting fringe sports.
Key points
- UND cut men's and women's tennis programs
- Financial pressures from NIL and revenue-sharing models
- Changes in Division I athletics over the past five years
- Resource reevaluation required for athletic departments
- Similar decisions happening at universities nationwide
May 1—GRAND FORKS — When UND announced it would be cutting men's and women's tennis on Thursday, the explanation from athletic director Bill Chaves was in general terms.
"Over the past five years, Division I athletics has experienced more change than the previous 30 years combined," Chaves said. "This has required us to adapt to a new landscape by reinventing the way we operate our athletic department as well as analyzing the existing resources we have and reallocating those resources moving forward."
Or, put this way: In an NIL and revenue-sharing NCAA landscape, it costs a lot more now to support the spotlight sports and that's going to put anyone on the fringe in jeopardy.
In a way, this isn't unique to UND. These are conversations and decisions happening at every university in the country.
However, UND is also in a very unique pickle.
As the cost of doing business in men's basketball, women's basketball, football and college hockey rapidly climbs, who else is sitting in a situation like UND?
You have to take care of the big three sports. UND needs to financially back men's hockey, football and basketball at a Division-I level but without the financial weight of a massive league television contract supported by a Power 4 FBS conference.
Look at college hockey, for example. Of the 16 teams in the NCAA tournament in 2026, four athletic departments have the financial backing of the television money associated with Big Ten football, one has Big East basketball money, three athletic departments don't sponsor football and three play Division-II football.
The only college hockey programs in the NCAA hockey tournament in 2026 with FCS in the athletic department portfolio are a pair of Ivy League schools (Dartmouth and Cornell), an FCS independent (Merrimack) and UND.
UND plays football in the toughest FCS league in the country in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, has a basketball program in the toughest geographic location perhaps in Division I — which requires resources to offset that challenge — and a college hockey program that is the centerpiece of the university.
UND's rivals in every non-hockey sport don't have this three-headed hurdle.
What a needle to thread.
Unfortunately for those passionate about the tennis program, the sport was collateral damage in this new NCAA system — one in which UND is going to need to function unlike any template out there.
Tennis was low-hanging fruit. It was a sport dominated by international students without a deep, local alumni base. It didn't impact enrollment with small roster sizes. There wasn't a facility issue, as Choice Health & Fitness was a rental.
That's not to say it's a move to be celebrated. But nobody at UND — or any member of the NCAA — exactly wanted the system that has been created. It's just the legal reality, and it's not going to become any cheaper to operate. There's no toothpaste jamming back into the tube when it comes to athlete compensation.
There must be a sense of urgency at UND to find a stable athletic department budget moving forward, too, as the next time athletics needs to adjust, there's not much more program cutting that can be done. This is close to as slim as a school like UND can be.
Q&A
Why did UND cut men's and women's tennis programs?
UND cut the tennis programs due to increased financial pressures from NIL and revenue-sharing models in NCAA athletics.
What did Bill Chaves say about changes in Division I athletics?
Bill Chaves stated that Division I athletics has undergone more change in the past five years than in the previous 30, requiring a reevaluation of resources.
How are other universities responding to changes in NCAA athletics?
Similar conversations and decisions about resource allocation and program viability are occurring at universities across the country.
What is the impact of NIL on college sports programs?
NIL and revenue-sharing models have increased costs for spotlight sports, putting fringe programs like tennis at risk.
