Oklahoma City University, an NAIA school, is dropping its men’s and women’s golf programs, the school announced Friday.
The two teams have a combined 19 national championships, with the men having 11 titles while the women eight. The men’s team is fifth in the NCAA golf rankings after the fall season while the women sit 24th.
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“The decision to discontinue golf was not made easily, as the tradition and success of our golf teams is deeply valued and respected, as are the individuals who make up this year’s teams,” OCU president Kenneth Evans said in a release. “However, we are in a turbulent time in higher education, with universities and colleges around the nation making difficult budgetary decisions. Unfortunately, the cost structure of golf practice and competition presents unique challenges.”
Oklahoma City men’s golf
The players on each team could transfer and be eligible to compete at new schools for the spring semester, or they could stay and compete for the Stars one final semester before the programs are officially disbanded at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
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Josh Gorzney, the women’s coach, told Golf Oklahoma the total golf budget was about $500,000. The teams split scholarships between players, and coaches held fundraisers that paid for numerous amenities.
“It’s just a crummy situation and it couldn’t have been handled much worse,” men’s coach Blake Trimble told Golf Oklahoma. “Apparently it’s been in the works for a while but I was never brought in for any financial discussions or asked to raise more money or given the impression the program was capable of being cut.”
Golf Oklahoma reports the coaches informed players they would help them find other schools if they wished to transfer but stay and coach them if they wanted to stick around for the spring.
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Former men’s coach Kyle Blaser, who led the Stars to their 11 national championships in 23 years, told Golf Oklahoma the decision was a gut punch.
“That’s the most successful program at OCU and one of the most successful in NAIA history,” Blaser said. “To just drop it like that is crazy. It’s awful.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Oklahoma City University is dropping its golf programs citing cost