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Stanford coach John Kosty is doing everything in his power to help ensure its conference rival Pacific does not drop its men’s volleyball program.
Days after the Pacific athletics department recommended that the university eliminate the men’s volleyball team, Kosty during the weekend sent a nationwide letter to college men’s volleyball teams encouraging coaches and players to object to the decision.
Kosty in his letter requested all NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball coaches and students athletes email Pacific athletics director Ted Leland and the school’s president to express their support for the Tigers men’s volleyball team. The coach, who also the AVCA college men’s volleyball representative, stated that supporters need to act urgently to help save the program.
“We ask that you do not hesitate in writing your email and having your student-athletes also write an email as [Pacific] coach [Joe] Wortmann will be meeting with the administration again,” Kosty stated in the letter. “Our voice needs to be heard prior to this meeting. Please take 10 minutes to write to Dr. Leland to give him your thoughts on how volleyball has positively impacted your life and how this decision will negatively affect future boys volleyball players’ opportunities to play collegiately. ”
Wortmann is scheduled to meet with Leland later this week to discuss the future of the program that may be eliminated for financial reasons. Leland last week announced his recommendation to cut the men’s volleyball program to help the school raise money for its new Focusing on Our Future campaign — a new strategic investment initiatives with the goal of generating $15 million.
Despite Leland making the recommendation, it is not a final decision that men’s volleyball will be cut from the athletics department. Pacific announced Friday it will hold a series of town hall meetings and seek online comments during the next few weeks before the final cost cutting recommendations are submitted to the school’s president on Sept. 20.
Support for Pacific men’s volleyball has been overwhelming since the recommendation to cut the program.
More than 5,000 people as of Monday night had signed an online petition at change.org requesting Pacific keep its team. Several volleyball organizations and teams on social media have also expressed support for Pacific — including George Mason, which posted Kosty’s letter on its team Facebook page.
Nice to see steps being taken by those who actually can make a difference. Online petitions can’t. 5,000 signatures simply means some number of people between 1 and 5,000 signed the petition (it could be absolutely any number in between).
I think I’ll write in myself. Not that I carry any weight as a humble blogger, but taking that step will obviously mean more than some petition.