‘Heartbreaking’: Town hall held after Jacksonville College decides to suspend basketball
JACKSONVILLE, Texas (KETK) – Jacksonville College community members and alumni gathered at Curtis Carrol Gym on Friday to learn more about the college’s decision to suspend its men’s and women’s basketball programs.
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The announcement came on Wednesday that the programs would be suspended at the end of the current school year.
President David Erickson said the basketball programs failed to cover its expenses last year by $149,000.
Erickson said the school needs at least a $4 million endowment just to cover basketball deficits. He also said if the school wanted to be competitive in the sport, they would need about a $6-10 million endowment to back up scholarships.
The school said suspending the basketball programs is the best option for their long-term financial stability.
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“It was a very difficult decision to suspend basketball,” Erickson said. “It was not a decision I wanted to make but it is a decision I needed to make.”
Erickson said the college couldn’t afford losing that amount of money on their programs going forward. He said the surrounding area is disappointed but understand it is what’s best for now.
“We’ve received a lot of support from our alumni and our community members,” Erickson said. “They have been encouraging that taking this step, if this is a necessary step because they believe in the Christian mission of Jacksonville College.”
Athletic Director Danny Long said it’s unfortunate for the college.
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“To have to do something of this nature, the word that just keeps coming up to me is heartbreaking,” Long said.
Long said he is holding out hope that basketball will return in the future.
The school said while the programs will be suspended at the end of the semester, they will look at their finances again in a couple of years to see where they stand on bringing their programs back.
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