Hockey is safe for now

In a statement on BGSUfalcons.com, Greg Christopher says that BG will have a hockey team for the 2009-10 season, and that budget cuts will be spread across the entire athletic department. He told The Blade that "we are not out of the woods."

In fact, no sport will be cut. The other interesting thing in the note is that he lets everyone know that the strategic plan for Athletics, which was completed two years ago, is no longer "sustainable." In the world of a university, that is a pretty significant statement, I think.

I'm glad to see this work out this way. The unsettled feeling is not good long term, and I hope that we can come to some long-term closure and that our athletic department works as hard with doing more with less as American families are.

March 17, 2009

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -

Falcon Fans,

The last two weeks have been a roller coaster for BGSU Athletics. The thrilling finish to the basketball season, with two regular season championships and two post-season berths, has captivated fans across the country. The current budget challenges for Intercollegiate Athletics have sparked equal passion and attention.

I wanted to let you know that we will field all 18 of our sports teams for the 2009-10 school year.

Athletics, like all BGSU colleges and departments, has been asked to meet new budget targets to help the University reduce an expected $6-$10 million budget shortfall for the 2010 fiscal year (the fiscal year that begins in July 2009).

Over the last few weeks, we have developed various potential budget reduction models and studied their potential impact on our department. Rather than eliminating any sports, in the coming year budget cuts will be made throughout the athletics department. This will significantly affect all 18 of our sports and support areas.

Fans may remember that two years ago we went through an extensive strategic planning process for the future of BGSU Athletics. Unfortunately, that plan is no longer sustainable given how the overall financial landscape has changed.

In the coming months, we will focus on the budget direction for fiscal year 2011 and beyond. As we head into new budget territory, BGSU undoubtedly will face more tough choices concerning competitive Division 1 Athletics.

We have heard the concerns raised by supporters of BGSU ice hockey and appreciate their passion for the program. We also recognize the significant role the Ice Arena plays in the Bowling Green community. We will work with Recreational Sports (which operates the arena) and the community to review the issues related to the facility and begin collaborating on the development of possible solutions.

To further explain the challenges facing Intercollegiate Athletics, I will be answering questions in a special interview with Dave Horger from 88.1 FM in Bowling Green to answer as many fan and community questions as possible. Horger will air portions of the interview during his show from 6-9 a.m., this Thursday and Friday. The entire interview will be posted on our Website Friday morning. If you would like to add a question to the mix, visit the “Ask the AD” section at www.bgsufalcons.com.

Finally, I thank all fans, students, alumni and community members for their passionate support of BGSU’s 425 student-athletes. BGSU is facing the same economic challenges as the rest of the nation. As a University, we are all working to ensure the long-term vitality of BGSU.

Roll Along!
Greg Christopher