Over 60,000 Urge Brown University to Reinstate Varsity Programs Cut - Men’s Track Leads Way

Over 60,000 Urge Brown University to Reinstate Varsity Programs Cut - Men’s Track Leads Way

More than 60,000 people have signed online petitions directed at Brown University, urging the Ivy League school to reinstate 11 varsity athletic programs the school just announced they are cutting.

Brown University had run the third-largest number of varsity teams in the nation -- until now. 

READ: Brown Cuts 11 Varsity Sports: Men’s Track & Cross Country Among Programs Eliminated in Restructuring

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Since the development, petitions to save squash, skiing, golf, and all the programs being cut at Brown have been gaining steam on change.org. 

Leading the way is the petition to “retain men’s track and field” — with over 25,000 signatories as of 7 AM on Monday. 

“As a Black alum of Brown University, and former student-athlete on a predominately white Varsity sport, I am disappointed in the decision to forego Men’s Track & Field/XC,” wrote Courtney Hoggard, who played rugby while at Brown. 

“Not only are the men that I know on this team some of the most talented, considerate, and respectful men that Brown Athletics has to show for, but Brown Track & Field serves as a one (if not the most) diverse teams on Brown University’s campus," she added. "They hold records, they’ve been Olympians, they consistently show what diversity across many different lenses stand for, and they did nothing to deserve this.”

Brown’s Rationale - Athletes, Parents, Alums React

Last week, Brown announced that effective immediately for the 2020-21 academic year, the University will transition 11 varsity teams to club status, ceasing “training, competition and operations at the varsity level for men's and women's fencing; men's and women's golf; women's skiing; men's and women's squash; women's equestrian; and men's track, field and cross country (which are three varsity sports under federal Title IX rules governing access to opportunities in sports).”

Approximately 150 athletes will be impacted and seven coaching positions will be eliminated — Brown also announced club coed sailing and club women's sailing will each transition to varsity status. 

"We envision varsity athletes who, as Brown students, are among the most academically talented in the world, who also compete on teams that are among the most competitive among our peers," Brown President Christina Paxson. 

“And we have a vision for club sports that offer competitive athletic opportunities to a wide array of students, while also supporting health and well-being," she said. "The Excellence in Brown Athletics Initiative is a bold plan to reshape athletics for our student-athletes and to achieve that vision."

Brown track alumni Taylor Alarcon started the change.org petition for track to retain track and field — and the comments came flooding in. 

“As a player of color on a predominantly white varsity team it is my responsibility to support and advocate for diversity in athletics. Track and field is one of the few diverse athletic programs at Brown and it would be a disservice to not only athletes of color but the entire Brown community to have it cut,” wrote Mahdia Parker, a Brown rugby player. 

“As a parent of one of the young men affected by this devastating news, who is also going into his senior year at Brown, this decision needs to be reversed. It is unfathomable and unconscionable what Brown has done to our incredible student-athletes,” wrote Holly Morganti from Syracuse, New York.

Brown athletics did not respond to request for comment at the time of publication.