The NCAA has approved Central Michigan University’s temporary waiver request to allow the school to maintain its NCAA Division I status after it fell below the minimum number of required men’s sports.
CMU announced in mid-May that it was as part of its planning budget amid the coronavirus pandemic. The decision impacted 36 student-athletes and eliminated two full-time assistant coaching positions.
With the elimination of men’s track and field, CMU was left with five intercollegiate men’s teams, which is one below the Football Bowl Subdivision’s requirement.
The waiver was granted for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years.
“I am happy to announce that the NCAA Division I Council has approved CMU’s request for a waiver of the minimum Division I sports sponsorship requirements set forth in NCAA Bylaw 20.9.9.1,” CMU Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford said in a release. “This waiver has been granted for the 2020-21 and the 2021-22 academic years. We continue to research and determine the best course of action to return the department to full compliance. I want to thank the NCAA staff for making this an efficient process and for understanding the difficult decisions the COVID-19 pandemic has forced our department to make. As I have said throughout this process, through my various conversations I felt confident that everyone involved was understanding about our current financial situation and we look forward to returning to full compliance.”
CMU’s remaining 16 intercollegiate sports programs are: Men’s and women’s basketball, football, women’s soccer, women’s golf, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, women’s track and field, gymnastics, women’s lacrosse, softball and volleyball.
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