College suspends football program
More than $1 million in cuts made to budget
College of the Redwoods has suspended its football program and cut nearly half-a-million dollars from its broader athletics department, an email from college President Dr. Keith Flamer to the campus community confirmed Thursday morning.
The cuts come amid a dubious budgetary picture for the college as the coronavirus pandemic bears down on Humboldt County’s lone community college.
Flamer’s email stated that the college’s football and beach volleyball programs have been “immediately suspended.”
The cuts to the health, physical education, kinesiology, recreation, dance and athletic departments amount to $475,000 gone from what the department takes in annually from the school’s general fund.
Several Redwoods football players and coaches took to Twitter on Thursday to comment on the program’s suspension.
“I cried today because our institution decided to ‘suspend’ football,” Head Coach Frank Borba said in a post on Twitter, “I cried today because of how much these young men of every race, color and creed mean to me…I cried today because I had to let 4 coaches who have been with me through thick and thin that they are no longer employed…I cried today for opportunities lost for all of our recruits…I cried today because these young men wanted to get one last breakdown honoring a place that doesn’t them…”
Some players who wish to find a new home in the fall made it immediately apparent.
“Due to very devastating circumstances with (our) football team being cut my recruitment is 100% open,” Redwoods player Zach Mahoney wrote on Twitter.
“Coaches…If you need a downhill RB, contact me. College of the Redwoods terminated the (football) program this morning… my recruitment is 100% open, 3 years of eligibility left,” player Triston Martin, a sophomore, wrote on Twitter.
To be clear, Redwoods’ football program is suspended, not terminated.
The program’s suspension comes a day before a planned Friday meeting by the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) during which the governing body which houses junior college athletics in the state including Redwoods will discuss, among other things, whether or not to suspend or postpone the 2020 fall athletics season.
The CCCAA initially suspended athletic events in mid-March.
The California Collegiate Athletic Association, which will house Humboldt State among other CSUs, indefinitely suspended fall athletics on May 12.
“We understand the level of fiscal constraints that have been created by the economic downturn for the college,” athletic director Bob Brown said in a Thursday news release from the college. “We acknowledge that many in the community may not understand the decision we’ve had to make. It has always been and will continue to be my effort as athletic director, to work with coaching and support staffs and the senior-level administration to continue to provide the highest level of educational and athletic opportunities for all student athletes at CR.”
Flamer’s email also detailed $570,000 in cuts to its associated faculty budget, “equivalent to approximately 110 class sections.”
The cuts come as a part of an effort by the college to maintain a 5% fund reserve, which “is critical to our ability to manage budget deficits we will face over the next few years, particularly if revenue losses exceed our projections in this uncertain environment.”
Flamer said dipping below the 5% reserve could impact the community college’s accreditation, something he said was “unacceptable.”
“We will have to be more efficient with the classes we offer and when they are scheduled,” Flamer wrote in the email.
The cuts include an unspecified number of layoffs and staff reductions.
Flamer added in his email that eyes are on Sacramento as the state budget picture is discussed.
The college’s board stands behind the president’s decision to suspend teams and eliminate staff.
“While the layoff of employees and the suspension of two team sports are unfortunate outcomes of necessary financial prioritization, the Board fully supports these difficult decisions,” Redwoods’ trustee Colleen Mullery said in the release.
Redwoods president Keith Flamer, athletic director Bob Brown and head football coach Frank Borba did not respond to requests for comment.