Clemson AD Announces 'Difficult Decision' To Cut Men's Track/XC

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Clemson, owner of one of the most successful and lucrative football programs in the the U.S., announced Thursday that it will cut men's track and field and cross country from its athletic department. 

The Clemson men finished fifth out of 15 schools at the 2019 Atlantic Coast Conference Outdoor Championships. The women also finished fifth.

Clemson placed 11th out of 15 schools at the Oct. 30 conference cross country final in North Carolina. The Tigers were 13th in the women's competition.

The Tigers placed second at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships in 1992 and 1993. The best finish for the men's team at the outdoor final was fourth in 2002. 

Clemson alum Shawn Crawford won the Olympic Games 200 meters in 2004. Crawford captured NCAA indoor national titles in the 200 in 1998 and 2000, along with an outdoor championship in the 200 in 2000.

Athletic Director Dan Radkovich issued a letter addressed to the Tigers' track and field athletes and their families. In it, he attempted to empathize with the "disappointment" and "heartbreak" accompanying the decision. 

However, Radkovich said:

After a long period of deliberative discussion and analysis we concluded that discontinuing our men’s track and field  program is in the best long-term interests of Clemson Athletics. While this decision comes during the significant  financial challenges due to the ongoing pandemic, those challenges are just one of many factors that led to this  decision. We will continue to honor all student-athlete scholarships and provide them with support as they work  towards earning their degrees.  

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Clemson Athletics periodically reviews our sport sponsorships as a member of the ACC and NCAA, and makes  changes based on several factors including, but not limited to: competitive balance, gender equity and Title IX  compliance, financial positioning, impact on diversity among student-athletes and staff, and local and national  interest and participation in the sport. In this case, the timing and decision are not a result of any one factor, but a  series of considerations.