(02-15-2017 02:04 AM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  The WAC is not going to hold Chicago State in violation of their contract. The Illinois State budget crisis has made it impossible for them to field a men's soccer team or to live up to other aspects of their contract. They need the 18 month budget war to get settled and then their new board members appointed by the Governor can start to look at making changes that will stabilize the University.

The fallout from the budget crisis will be that many schools will cut sports to save money. Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois are two prime examples. EIU has had a reduction in enrollment of 13% this year. They have laid off 200 employees. That still won't be enough. WIU has had a reduction of 6.5% in enrollment and has let go of 160 employees and is cutting $20 million off the budget over the next two years. Both of these schools play football and also men's soccer in the Summit League. I can see men's soccer being given the ax to save football, which would put the Summit under the necessary six schools for men's soccer. They are already at the bare minimum of six for baseball.

The WAC is not going to drop Chicago State without another D1 school stepping in. Denver, Sacramento State and Northern Colorado could all be candidates at some point in the near future. In the meantime, the WAC will give Chicago State every chance to make it work. The athletic facilities are not bad. The basketball arena was built in 2007 at a cost of $38 million and seats 7,000. The baseball field was built in 2013 at a cost of $2.5 million and seats 2,500. Chicago State is a 161 acre campus in the city. They are not closing it and there is not one politician that thinks it is a good idea to close it. Once the budget crisis is solved they can move forward.

It was interesting to see CSU Athletics publicly respond on Twitter to a post that linked this article, stating the school is not in danger of closing & asking people not to "believe (or push) the hype!!!!!" I mentioned to others that I would love to know which information, specifically, they take exception with. A lot of the numbers have been thrown around here, and none of them paint a pretty picture.

It's easy to say "once the budget crisis is solved", but that is putting a lot of faith in IL politicians. Assuming Chi St athletics do survive THIS state budget crisis, what about the next one? Or the one after that? Or the one after that? Unless somebody in the state found a magic wand, rubbed a lamp with a genie inside, of planted a grove of money trees they are just waiting to come into bloom, I'm not sure I would assume long term stability.