Reader's view: Unprofitable college programs face cuts

Like many other Duluth residents, I was surprised and disappointed when I heard University of Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey coach Shannon Miller would not have her contract renewed. I think that the nonrenewal decision was wrong; but right or wrong, it certainly was not handled well.
The Miller decision has prompted much controversy. I want to comment about two letters that seemed confused about the role sports play in college life.
The March 9 letter, “Coverage of Miller controversy superficial,” criticized the News Tribune for not publishing more facts about how college sports are funded, particularly that coaches in revenue-producing sports, which are usually men’s sports, are paid more than coaches in nonrevenue sports. “College sports are a business and sometimes require tough business decisions,” the letter read. I think that this showed a misunderstanding of college sports. Most colleges, including UMD, do not show a profit on sports. Colleges themselves might be thought of as businesses, although I think that this is a bad way to look at them. If colleges are thought of as businesses, then college sports are subsidiaries subject to financial business decisions; but they might be thought of as “loss-leaders,” which entice customers to support other parts of the business.
The Jan. 11 letter, “Schools exist for education, not sports entertainment,” stated a view attributed to UMD’s chancellor that “the purpose of schools and universities is to educate and not to entertain.” Such academic disciplines as art, music, theater and literature are also about entertainment, just as much as sports are. Women’s hockey is suffering a cut not because it is a sport but because it is not profitable. Academic programs that do not make a profit are also subject to cuts.
Dick Green
Duluth