Kevin Saal started by telling the head coaches. Then the players. Then the public.

By Tuesday afternoon, the Wichita State men’s and women’s golf programs were gone.

The decision, Saal said during a Zoom press conference Tuesday evening, reflects a reality athletic departments across the country must face: rising costs and limited resources in an increasingly expensive era of college sports.

“There are multiple considerations that were evaluated across all of our athletics programs,” Saal said. “We made a determination based on long-term financial sustainability, available resources, facilities, planning and institutional priorities.”

With the cuts, Wichita State loses not only two teams, but a significant part of its athletic history.

The men’s golf program began in 1935, followed by the women’s program in 1974. Together, they won 26 conference titles. 

The men’s team captured eight consecutive conference championships from 2008-15 and produced eight All-Americans: Johnny Stevens, Jamie Thompson, Gary Navarro, Don Lee, Rod Nuckolls, Judd Easterling, Ryan Spears and Dustin Garza.

Saal said the current head coaches, Tom McCurdy and Easterling — an All-American at WSU — along with their athletes, handled the news well.

“Tom and Judd were absolute pros,” Saal said. “They handled it with class, with grace, with a keen and, quite frankly, unique understanding of where we are. … I want to reiterate the appreciation and genuine respect and admiration for our student athletes.”

Athletic department staff will work individually with each athlete to provide academic, athletic and personal support.

Those who remain at Wichita State will retain their existing financial assistance, subject to applicable NCAA and university eligibility standards. Others can enter the transfer portal as early as Wednesday morning. Incoming recruits and their families will meet with staff to discuss the next steps.

“The most critical component of this piece is supporting our student athletes,” Saal said. “The financial resources that we have (for) them will be committed to them throughout their degree or use everything within our coach’s network to get them to find another place to play.”

Maintaining the golf programs costs nearly $1 million annually in direct expenses, according to Saal, including personnel, scholarships, recruiting and operations. Indirect costs — such as support staff — push the cost higher. 

Wichita State’s most recent financial report stated that the programs’ combined operating expenses totaled around $1.1 million and that the total reported operating revenue was a combined $313,236, meaning they finished with a net operating deficit of nearly $800,000 combined across the two sports.

Those expenses became increasingly difficult to justify as Wichita State navigates growing financial pressures, compounded by changes like name, image and likeness (NIL) initiatives and the House vs. NCAA Settlement reshaping the college athletics landscape. 

“Nothing is getting cheaper,” Saal said. “The ability to operate, to travel, to do all the things that we need to do to scholarship our student athletes, to be competitive in both recruiting and retention, facilities, capital projects — all of those elements are critically important to our success. 

“Those are the pressures that exist daily from a financial perspective.”

Saal, who was hired in July 2022, said discussions about discontinuing the programs unfolded over the last few weeks as part of ongoing evaluations. Budget conversations, he said, happen almost daily.

Factors that went into the decision ranged from competitive perspectives, historical and future fundraising perspectives, and facilities perspectives, among others.

The department has already taken steps to reduce costs this year, cutting five positions in January — including an assistant coaching spot on the men’s and women’s golf teams.

Still, Saal said he delayed making the situation public to avoid disrupting the teams during their season.

“I made a decision that I feel is the right decision to make, to not create a distraction in the middle of our student athletes’ season,” Saal said.

For Wichita State, a smaller program in a non-power conference, adapting to rapid changes in college athletics has only intensified the challenge of remaining competitive while staying financially stable.

The cuts also leave the university at the NCAA minimum of 14 varsity programs required for Division I membership.

What comes next for the $1 million in freed resources remains unclear.

Saal said the funds will not be earmarked for a single program but instead used to support the department more broadly amid rising costs and uncertain revenue streams.

“We’ve got to come up with a more holistic model rather than saying ‘Dollar A’ fits in ‘Slot B,’” Saal said. “We’ve got to come up with a more holistic model that ensures sustainability for our program well into the future.”

Possible uses range from bolstering high-profile programs like men’s basketball — which accounts for $6.5 million of the department’s $31.2 million budget during the 2025-26 fiscal year — to investing in initiatives such as a potential “future soccer team” outlined in the University Stadium master plan.

Still, Saal cautioned against viewing the decision through a narrow lens. 

Just because money has been freed doesn’t mean it will be invested in one area. All of the athletic programs must operate under one umbrella, rather than as separate businesses, he said.

“I think it would be shortsighted,” Saal said. “I think it would be unfair to take a very narrow perspective to say that these dollars are going to be slotted here.”

Ultimately, Saal said the move was necessary to position Wichita State athletics for the future. While driven by financial realities, the decision leaves a lasting impact. 

An impact measured not in budgets, but in lost opportunities for current and future Shockers, which may perhaps become the biggest toll.

“I’m genuinely sympathetic to the golf alumni, our coaches and our student athletes,” Saal said. “Eliminating opportunities is the last thing an AD wants to do. It’s not something that I’m proud of. These are not easy decisions.”