Published: February 04, 2008 11:00 pm      

'Wick soccer could drop to Division III

ONEONTA _ Hartwick College Division I men's soccer will switch to Division III if trustees approve a recommendation at their meeting Saturday.

Richard P. Miller Jr., Hartwick president, and Karl E. Mosch, a 1969 graduate and board chairman, are proposing the change based on financial factors and a goal to fund sports programs equitably, among other reasons, according to a memo sent to trustees Monday.

Coaches for men's soccer and women's water polo _ which would also be affected _ said the recommendation is disappointing.

In January 2004, trustees voted to switch from Division I to III, but an effort by alumni and other supporters, called Re-Ignite the Wick, resulted in reinstatement of the Division I program five months later. Though the switch this year is expected to prompt some disappointment, according to Miller and Mosch, no reversal of the change is expected.

Hartwick's other intercollegiate teams compete in Division III.

Cal Chase, of Re-Ignite the Wick, couldn't be reached at his home telephone late Monday afternoon or early Monday night.

Also under the proposal, the women's water polo program no longer would be supported with athletic scholarships. The program would play its regional schedule but wouldn't compete on a national basis. Coach Alan Huckins, reached in California on Monday, said the team is busy with its season, and he didn't want to say anything more than he was disappointed with the recommendation.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association doesn't recognize Division I, II or III in water polo. Division I athletic program are generally allowed to give athletic scholarships, whereas Division III programs are not.

``The scholarship and program costs to maintain competitive Division I programs can now be reallocated to a range of investments benefiting our entire student body and campus,'' the memo said. ``The culture of Division I athletics is inconsistent with our mission today, whereas this was not the case 25 years ago.''

Hartwick has had men's soccer since 1956, and the team won the national championship in 1977.

Ian McIntyre, coach of the men's soccer team, said Division I still has a place at Hartwick. If asked by trustees, McIntyre said he'll comment, but he won't be politicking this week because the college leadership already knows the position of players, staff and supporters.

``I'm disappointed this has come up for discussion again,'' he said. ``This is going to be a difficult week for many of us.''

McIntyre said he has been contacting students since he found out about the recommendation Monday morning. He met with some students but others are away during the campus break, and McIntyre withheld identifying any of the 30 team members until he has been in touch with them all.

The college will honor scholarships awarded to students and will support their efforts to transfer if they choose, the memo said.

Miller said Division III is a better fit for Hartwick, and the proposal isn't a surprise to trustees, who discussed it in October and will meet in Oneonta starting Thursday.

``I'm hopeful that they'll approve it,'' Miller said.

Under the change, men's soccer program would cease offering athletic scholarships and would play a Division I schedule in the 2008-09 academic year. It would move to Division III status in the 2009-10 academic year, playing in the Empire 8 Conference.

The division change will result in a $550,000 savings annually for both sports, Miller said.

Hartwick College is fiscally the strongest it has been in recent memory, but more needs to be done, Miller and Mosch said in the memo. Miller, who was hired in July 2003 to boost college finances, will be retiring this year.

The college's endowment has grown from $50 million to $75 million in the past five years, and enrollment has increased from 1,397 to 1,537 students. Hartwick has about 180 full- and part-time faculty, Miller said.

Besides building improvements, the college's obligations also include faculty and staff compensation equity and enhancements of student programs, the memo said.

The college plans renovations to Binder Physical Education Center, which Miller said could cost between $15 million and $25 million. A panel is studying possible improvements to Binder, built in 1968, and Clough Harbor Sports has been hired to prepare a master plan by May. The college will have a fundraising campaign and possible debt offering to meet costs, officials said.

More than 25 percent of students participate in intercollegiate athletics.

``By transitioning completely to Division III athletics, we can financially support all players and coaches more equitably,'' the memo said.

Re-ignite the Wick committed to raise $2 million by this June, but the expectation is that at $1.5 million, the group will fall short of its goal, Miller said. The group and its fundraising efforts weren't factors in the pending recommendation, he said.

Money raised by Re-Ignite the Wick went toward ongoing expenses, Miller said, and it would take an endowment of $11 million to create income sufficient to support the Division I programs.