How to start dismantling a department? How to start dismantling a family?
That’s what is facing Brigham Young-Hawaii athletic director Ken Wagner after Friday’s official announcement that the school will phase out its athletic program over the next three years.
The decision affects 11 NCAA Division II sports, some 200 student-athletes and dozens of coaches, assistants and athletic department personnel. It affects the Laie community where the Seasiders have been a continued source of pride for more than 40 years since the campus was known as Church College of Hawaii.
The void created by the loss of one of the most successful non-Division I athletic programs, with more than 20 national championships, will be huge.
The reason given was that the resources spent on athletics — the operating budget is an estimated $1.2 million — would be better used to help increase enrollment, from its current 2,700 to 3,200 and the infrastructure that would be needed.
"I am disappointed in that I feel our program has contributed so much to the school, the community and the church," said Wagner, who also has been the men’s basketball coach since 1990. "I believe that there is more to school than going to class. I understand that they are looking at educating 400, 500 more students but … the decision does surprise me."
The discussion about dropping athletics has been ongoing for nearly a decade. The model being sought for BYU-Hawaii is that of BYU-Idaho, which was formerly Ricks College, a onetime junior college powerhouse.
The current BYU-Hawaii president is Dr. Steven C. Wheelwright, who came to the Laie campus in 2007 after years as a professor and senior associate dean at Harvard Business School.
According to Friday afternoon’s news release, the decision was made by the BYUH board of trustees "after much discussion, more than 10 years of analysis, and consideration of several options." The members of the athletic department met for "an informational meeting" Monday with no official decision made as the department awaited the return of Wheelwright from an off-island trip.
The school is honoring its athletic scholarships through 2016. The issues facing the coaching staffs are how to recruit athletes for a short term and stay competitive.
The Seasiders compete in the 14-member PacWest Conference along with three other Hawaii universities: Chaminade, Hawaii Hilo and Hawaii Pacific. BYU-Hawaii has won 10 women’s volleyball national titles, nine in women’s tennis in addition to early titles in men’s volleyball and rugby.
Last November, the Seasiders women’s volleyball team advanced to the national championship match. In 2011, Wagner and the men’s basketball team reached the national title game.
The decision appears final, but is there a possibility of a miracle to save the program?
"I think it’s hard to argue with the church’s decision," Wagner said of the overseeing Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "It will be interesting to see what happens in the next couple of weeks. I know a lot of our alumni and the community are going to be very disappointed. It’s going to hurt."
Wagner said that around 66 percent of the BYU-Hawaii athletes made the PacWest academic honor roll in addition to numerous athletic awards.
PacWest commissioner Bob Hogue had been aware of BYUH’s ongoing discussions. In a statement Friday, he said:
"While we are disappointed to lose one of our longest-serving members, we will move forward in a positive direction as a conference. BYU-Hawaii has a long and proud athletic tradition that will be honored in our history forever. Our hearts go out to the hundreds of student-athletes, coaches, and staff who have participated in Seasider athletics over the many years."
