College In Montgomery County Eliminates All NCAA Sports

BRYN ATHYN, PA — Bryn Athyn College in Montgomery County announced Thursday that they will end all of their sports programs and transition to club-only competition, citing financial difficulties.

The school currently has 11 programs that compete at the NCAA Division III level. The change will be effective at the end of this school year.

"After a comprehensive review of our financial position, we have made difficult —but essential—changes to protect our core academic offerings and position the College for sustainable growth," President Sean Connelly wrote in a letter to the school community. "This decision is a necessary step for our survival. To ensure this institution, rooted in a distinctive vision almost 150 years old, can thrive for the next 150 years."

The change will save the college the financial equivalent of 11 full time positions. Impacted students will "receive full support," Connelly added.

Club sports are typically paid for entirely by students, through donations and student fees. Club teams can still compete against NCAA teams in invitationals and exhibitions, though it is not common that they remain competitive enough to do so with consistency. They also cannot participate in conference championships or NCAA regional and national championships.

Bryn Athyn said that sports accounted for a significantly larger portion of their budget than the average school. While most D3 schools spending between 4 and 5 percent on athletics, Connelly says that Bryn Athyn spends about 12 percent.

It's not clear why Bryn Athyn was spending so much more than other schools, nor is it clear if funding cuts beyond outright program cuts were considered.

To save additional money, the school is also outsourcing IT operations, which they say will save the money of about four full time jobs, and they're reorganizing their student and institutional support departments to save five positions.