Cutting, defunding sports led to UWGB probation from NCAA, records reveal

GREEN BAY (WLUK) -- The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay athletic program was placed on probation by the NCAA after it defunded Nordic ski scholarships and cut tennis, dropping the school below the required minimum number of 14 sports, according to documents obtained by FOX 11.

As the station first reported, Chancellor Mike Alexander informed faculty on Wednesday of the sanction. In an interview, he said the problems have been fixed, and the school remains committed to offering sports at the Division 1 level.

The chancellor declined to offer specific details but after a records request from FOX 11, the school provided documents from the NCAA and UWGB addressing the issue.

According to the Nov. 30, 2022, letter from Jennifer Samble, Associate Director of Academic and Membership Affairs for the NCAA, UWGB "did not satisfy the NCAA Division I sports-sponsorship requirements set forth in NCAA Bylaw 20.10.6 for the 2021-22 academic year."

UWGB only offered 12 qualifying sports, instead of the required 14. As such, the NCAA placed UWGB on probation for the 2022-23 academic year.

The school is only allowed one such probationary period in a 10-year span, with two stages of punishment if it happens again -- including the possibility of being expelled from the NCAA:

In addition, per Bylaw 20.5.5.1.2.2, if an institution fails to meet the sports-sponsorship criteria at the end of the probationary year or is ineligible for the once-in-10-year probationary period, it shall be placed in restricted membership. It shall not be eligible for NCAA championship competition in all sports (both men's and women's) in the first academic year after the probationary year (or the first academic year after failure to meet the requirements if the institution is ineligible for the once-in-10-year probationary period). If the institution cannot certify compliance with the division criteria at the end of that year, it shall forfeit its membership in the Association.

In the university's response letter, dated Dec. 29, 2022, Athletic Director Josh Moon offered more details on what happened.

In April, 2019 UWGB made the decision to cut athletic tuition waivers from the men's and women's Nordic ski teams due to ongoing budget shortfalls with the University - this resulted in almost all athletic aid being removed from these 2 sports. In April 2020, the university dropped men's and women's tennis due to COVID-19 fallout and continued budget shortfalls with the University. This left the institution with 14 total sport programs, the NCAA Division 1 minimum.

However, it appears the lack of scholarships for skiing meant the sport did not meet the NCAA requirements.

Personnel changes -- including the compliance officer, chancellor and athletic director -- "did not help with steady communication" on the college's compliance with NCAA requirements, Moon explained.

Starting in fall 2021, several steps were taken to ensure compliance. These included:

• Hiring one full-time Nordic ski coach for both the men's and women's teams
• Reinstituted tuition waivers for the ski teams
• Received a $150,000 grant to fund the ski teams
• Adding more tuition waivers to various sports to ensure the "floor" of athletic aid "is well beyond" NCAA guidelines.

Moon assured the NCAA the issue was addressed.

"UWGB is committed to Division 1 athletics and will ensure the above steps continue throughout the probation period and beyond. Furthermore, the University will provide additional, ongoing resources to the athletics department to ensure all Division 1 membership requirements are exceeded each and every year," Moon wrote.

As for the tennis program, UWGB announced in April 2020 it was ending the program due to budget limitations.

"Several long-standing challenges facing the men's and women's tennis program have continued to hinder the opportunity for growth of the program and have contributed to rising costs outpacing revenue, the most significant being the lack of an on-campus tennis facility for student-athletes. In order to practice and compete, members of the tennis team are required to travel over 20 miles off campus and the logistics of managing a fully off-campus competitive experience have continued to pose risks for student-athlete safety, have made successful recruiting difficult and has led to year-over-year increases in operational costs," the announcement said.

The decision impacted four men and women athletes. The decision saved "approximately $170,000 operationally per year and $160,000 in athletic tuition scholarships awarded per year," the announcement said.

The sport has not been reinstated.

According to the athletic department website Friday, the school currently offers 14 sports: basketball, cross country, golf, Nordic skiing, soccer, and swimming and diving for men; and basketball, cross country, golf, Nordic skiing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, and volleyball for women.