NC Central to cut its baseball program due to the coronavirus pandemic
Citing budgetary issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, N.C. Central will cut its baseball program when the upcoming season ends.
The school made the announcement Thursday, with athletic director Ingrid Wicker McCree calling it “one of the most disappointing days in my career.”
The move drops NCCU’s athletic program to 14 sports -- the minimum allowed under NCAA rules to remain a Division I program. In a news release, the school said no more sports will be cut and that the move to discontinue baseball will help stabilize the athletic department’s fiscal situation.
“I sincerely understand how much time and dedication has been put into becoming a college student-athlete and I empathize with our baseball student-athletes, parents, and families,” Wicker McCree said in a statement. “There is never the ‘right time’ to make an announcement such as this. However, this decision was made after a rigorous internal and external review of our long-term financial model to improve the overall sustainability of our athletics program. We appreciate the loyalty our baseball donors, fans and supporters have shown throughout the history of the program.”
Without baseball, NCCU will sponsor seven male sports and seven female sports beginning with the 2021-22 school year.
Like schools nationwide, NCCU has struggled with revenue shortfalls since the pandemic began last March. Last spring, the school cut overall operational costs by 30%, reduced staff positions, and implemented department-wide furloughs.
After not playing last fall, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference had planned to play a spring football season. But NCCU opted out of that plan and is preparing to return this fall.
NCCU formed a task force that partnered with an outside consultant, Alden & Associates, to examine its athletics department and determine the sustainability of each of its athletic programs. Factoring in squad size, number of competitions, cost of facility rental and game officials, and overall operational expenses, they determined baseball would be cut.
“We will focus on supporting our baseball student-athletes and coaches impacted by today’s news,” McCree said. “Head coach Jim Koerner and his staff have contributed greatly to the success of our baseball student-athletes and have made a positive impact on our community. The legacy of NCCU baseball, the program success under the leadership of coach Koerner, and our current and former baseball student-athletes and coaches will be remembered and celebrated.”
Scholarships, transfer eligibility
The Eagles are scheduled to open the season Feb. 19 against Army West Point at Durham Athletic Park. NCCU’s regular season is scheduled to end May 15 with the MEAC tournament scheduled for May 20-22 in Norfolk, Virginia.
NCCU will honor scholarships for its baseball players through the 2021-22 school year if they choose to remain at the school. Under NCAA rules when a program is dropped, any players who transfer would be eligible immediately at their new school.
Though baseball was the first sport the school sponsored, beginning in 1911, this is the second time the program has been discontinued. The first break came following the 1975 season.
NCCU re-started baseball in 2007 after the school decide to move from Division II to Division I. Since becoming a MEAC member in 2012, NCCU has posted just one winning season. The 2018 team went 28-24.
But the program, under Koerner’s leadership, saw six players sign professional baseball contracts since 2015. That includes Corey Joyce, the MEAC player of the year in 2018 and 2019. A shortstop, Joyce was selected in the 12th round by the Detroit Tigers in the 2019 MLB Draft. No NCCU player in program history has gone higher in the draft.
This story was originally published February 11, 2021 at 3:30 PM.