Why the University of Wisconsin Should Bring its Baseball Program Back
It's been long enough...
Madison, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin has a rich history of athletic excellence, but one sport has been conveniently missing from its roster for far too long: baseball.
Former Wisconsin Badgers athletic director Pat Richter was forced to cut the baseball program out in 1991 due to Title IX complaints over the disparity between men’s and women’s scholarships, coupled with the fact he inherited a budget that was $2 million in debt.
Wisconsin baseball won Big Ten championships in 1902, 1912, 1930, 1946, and 1950 but failed to win another title in its final 41 seasons. That said, UW is the only B1G program (out of 14) not to have a varsity baseball team, and it needs to be corrected at some point in my lifetime.
The move was understandable at the time, but it’s been three decades, and the landscape of college athletics is in a completely different arena than in the early ’90s, especially at Wisconsin. UW has thriving football, men’s basketball, and women’s volleyball + hockey programs. So I have no reason to believe the money isn’t there (especially from recent TV contracts) to kickstart the reboot.
Now that Chris McIntosh is in the big seat at the University of Wisconsin, it’s time to reevaluate bringing back the Badgers baseball program and give the people what they want.
