http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=4341135
QuoteCornell, like many Ivy League schools, supports several former and current emerging sports among its 17 female sports, including squash and equestrian. The school also has a successful club women's rugby team. But athletic director Andy Noel said even though rugby is closer to becoming an NCAA championship sport than equestrian, he doesn't have the means to sponsor it.
"We're just not in a financial position to add sports right now," Noel said. "A sport being an NCAA sport is not something that would carry enough weight for us to break the hearts of 35 or 40 women who are at Cornell, participating and really enjoying their program. We have an outstanding [equestrian] coach in Chris Mitchell and we wouldn't discontinue something positive to bring on something else with great potential to be positive. Humanistically, we're not so focused on the NCAA part of it that we would negatively impact a group of Cornell students who are enjoying what they're doing."
But Noel said he understands the benefits of emerging sports. His school also supports women's rowing and ice hockey, two of the fastest-growing former emerging sports.
Good interview. I'm especially happy that they mentioned 17 female sports. Like the rest of the Ivies, we have more men's and women's sports than most Div. I scholarship schools.
Too bad Andy's predecessor didn't share his concern about "breaking the hearts" of athletes. Maybe there'd still be men's fencing and gymnastics. ::flipd::