Charleston Southern discontinues men's soccer program

CHARLESTON, SC - Charleston Southern University has announced it will discontinue its men's soccer program, effectively immediately. The 2002 team completed their fall season schedule on Thursday.

"This has been a very difficult decision to make, but it is essential for the improvement of our athletic program," said Hank Small, CSU's Director of Athletics. "This decision allows us to reallocate resources to enhance the competitiveness of our remaining sports. We are one of the smallest universities competing at the NCAA Division I level, and it is unrealistic for us to continue fielding more teams than anyone else in our conference."

CSU fields 18 teams that compete in the NCAA Division I's Big South Conference. CSU is the only member of the conference to sponsor all 18 Big South Conference sports.

The men's and women's soccer programs have been sharing campus resources throughout their existence, which has led to time and space conflicts for games and practices. The status of the women's soccer program remains unchanged.

The University will honor all scholarships made to team players for the 2002-03 academic year. Consistent with NCAA guidelines, these talented student athletes will retain their eligibility to play immediately for other NCAA member institutions.

Head coach Daniel Allen's contract will be honored through May 31, 2003.

CSU began playing men's soccer in 1978 and won the Big South Conference championship in 1997, earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament.