Though they were never the school’s most successful sports, there was little warning when the football and hockey teams were cancelled in late February of sophomore year, right in the middle of the hockey season. The unpopular move was forced by the school’s wish to trim the budget, citing nearly $600,000 in savings. By canceling the sports, 85 student-athletes and 10 coaches were affected.
Reaction by students was immediate, including a protest on the front lawn of Bellarmine Hall that attracted more than 80 students. Many felt like no one but administration was consulted on the decision, leaving athletes and students to the side.
“It is a shame for the team,” said hockey player Lyon Porter ’05. “We gave our all for this school and all we got in return was a knife in the back.”
In a Mirror poll, 245 students were asked how they felt about the disbandment of the football and hockey teams. There were 152 against it, 54 for it and 39 had no opinion.
With several other schools dropping out of the MAAC in football, there were many who suspected that Fairfield’s most expensive athletic expenditure was in danger. However, the hockey team was actually anticipating the school helping them with a new facility when they were blindsided with the news.
After the school announced the cancellations, several underclassmen moved on to other schools to continue playing their respective sports for the rest of the collegiate career.
-Steven M. Andrews
Leave a Reply