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By Kent Larsen
BYU-Hawaii Drops Soccer, Will Add New Men's Sport
LAIE, HAWAII -- This past October the Pacific West Conference, which
included BYU-Hawaii, approved the withdrawal of 10 of the 16 teams in the
conference, leaving BYU-Hawaii, Hawaii Pacific, UHawaii-Hilo, Chaminade,
Montana State-Billings and Western New Mexico in the conference. Now the
breakup has its first casualty, soccer, leaving BYU-Hawaii to find a new
sport for its men's athletics program, to comply with NCAA requirements.
NCAA rules require that in each sport sponsored by a conference, at least
six schools in the conference must field a team. With the conference
shrinking to just six schools when the breakup is complete next July 1st,
every school must compete in the remaining sports. With just three of the
remaining schools sponsoring men's soccer teams, and only two sponsoring
women's soccer teams, the conference decided to drop the sports.
For BYUH the loss of the program isn't likely to bother fans. The men's team
has been in existence for five years and last year had a record of just
2-12-1. But the loss of men's soccer leaves BYUH with just three men's
sports and four women's sports. Since the NCAA requires that schools sponsor
four mens and four women's sports to maintain division II status, BYUH will
have to add another men's sport. The school is looking at football,
baseball, volleyball and water polo as possibilities, but says that football
is unlikely because of the facilities it requires. Baseball is possible
because both Hawaii Pacific and UHawaii-Hilo currently offer the sport.
Source:
BYU-Hawaii, HPU drop soccer programs
Honolulu HI Star-Bulletin 14Dec00 S3
By Brandon Lee: Special to the Star-Bulletin
BYU-Hawaii Drops Men's Soccer
BYU-Hawaii Athletics Press Release 15Dec00 S3
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