MIT Cuts 8 Varsity Sports

MIT is cutting eight varsity sports to trim the university's budget, the Boston Globe reports. The sports that will be cut include men's and women's ice hockey and gymnastics, wrestling, golf, Alpine skiing, and pistol, and will help the athletic department erase a large part of its $485,000 deficit. MIT is cutting spending by $100 million to $150 million over the next two to three years, approximately 10 to 15 percent of its total spending.

MIT still has 33 varsity sports, more than the average Division III school (the national average is 16 sports) and more than even such high-profile sports colleges as the University of Southern California (19), Alabama (19), and Texas (18).