Kevin Anderson and Wallace Loh promised that at least some of the seven sports Maryland cut a year ago will return at some undetermined point in the future, probably not until at least Big Ten TV revenue officially started rolling in.
But men's track doesn't have to wait for that, because the program secured its own future through private donations via the Save Our Sports initiative, the athletic department announced earlier today.
Men's Outdoor Track & Field will continue at the University of Maryland, director of athletics Kevin Anderson announced Tuesday. Private donations provided to the `Save Our Sports' fundraising effort will allow men's outdoor track to continue for the next two years prior to the transition to the Big Ten Conference in 2014.
University President Dr. Wallace Loh recently formed the `President's Commission on Big Ten/CIC Integration' to explore long-term investments of Big Ten revenue starting in 2014.
"Our decision to move to the Big Ten Conference will provide enormous benefits to the University of Maryland, both athletically and academically," said President Loh. "The continuation of our storied track and field program is a great first step. I look forward to additional recommendations from the Commission on how to ensure the productive and positive integration into the Big Ten."
Cliff's Notes version: it'll run on its own funds until 2014, at which point the ICA commission will determine whether or not it'll be viable with extra Big Ten revenue. Hint: it almost certainly will be, especially reading the way Loh is framing it at this point.
Congrats to the track program, which is quietly one of the most storied programs at the University. And congrats to the University itself and the A.D., which will get a nice P.R. boost from this and should help melt some of the opposition to the Big Ten move, even if admittedly the fact that track is staying around isn't really about that, at least not immediately. Every little bit helps.