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Future of Rice athletics under review
From Wire and Staff Reports
Less than two years before its
scheduled entry into Conference USA, Rice University's board of trustees has
commissioned a study that looks at everything from doing away with athletics
at the school to enhancing facilities for athletes, according to an account
out of Houston.
The study was done by
Houston-based McKinsey and Company to determine the fate of Rice athletics,
according to Houston television station KRIV, which said the revelation came
from sources close to the Rice faculty.
Rice's options, according to
the report, also include dropping to Division III status, dropping football,
keeping the programs as they are now and investing in new facilities to
enhance the athletic programs.
The school, which is currently
a member of the Western Athletic Conference, has accepted an invitation to
join C-USA in 2005-06 along with fellow WAC members Southern Methodist and
Tulsa.
Rice, SMU and Tulsa are small
but well-heeled private institutions, while most of the universities in the
reconfigured Conference USA for which the three are destined are large
state-supported schools.
Rice athletic director Bobby
May confirmed that the study was commissioned, said the Associated Press,
but added that he has not seen the confidential report meant only for the
board of trustees.
The school's baseball team won
last year's College World Series and both the men's and women's basketball
teams made it to postseason play in 2004.
Copyright 2004
The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
02/23/2007 10:41:12 AM
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