University of Hartford student-athletes hold rally to protest potential drop to Division III
West Hartford, CT - 4/19/21 - University of Hartford athletes march Monday afternoon in protest of the school's proposal to downgrade from NCAA Division I to Division III athletics. Photo by Brad Horrigan | bhorrigan@courant.com (Brad Horrigan/The Hartford Courant)
More than 100 University of Hartford athletes and other students marched on campus Monday to protest a report recommending the school's athletic department drop from Division I to Division III.
Athletes held signs reading "Hawks Up" and "Hawks supporting Hawks," as well as others alluding to an email apparently sent by university president Gregory Woodward that referenced having "spin doctors" justify the potential move.
Megan Anderson, a senior volleyball player and co-president of the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, who helped organize the march, said some Hartford coaches had tweaked practice times Monday to allow all athletes to participate.
Anderson, originally from Minnesota, said she chose the University of Hartford specifically because of its Division I volleyball program and that downgrading the athletic department to Division III would hamper other athletes' college experiences.
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"My teammates are my family, so I don't want them to have to go through this or deal with this, and I want them to have the great college experience that I have been so fortunate to have the last four years," she said.
Woodward has argued that academics should be the university's primary mission and that cost savings from a shift from Division I to Division III could benefit the school more broadly.
A report commissioned by the university and published publicly last Thursday suggested playing Division III sports instead of Division I sports could save the school about $10 million a year, though others have said the true savings would be significantly more modest.
Alex Putterman can be reached at aputterman@courant.com.
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