WHEREAS, Winthrop University has a proud tradition of competing in Division I men’s and women’s tennis, including 20 regular season Big South titles and 21 Conference championships; the most of any school in the Big South Conference; and
WHEREAS, under the direction of Winthrop Athletics Hall of Fame coach Cid Carvalho,
Winthrop’s tennis teams achieved more than 730 wins and 24 NCAA tournament appearances;
and
WHEREAS, the Winthrop family will always remember the 1993 men's tennis team who were
involved in a tragic highway accident in Hattiesburg, Mississippi that claimed the
life of Bruno Torok and severely disabled Eckert Dietz; and
WHEREAS, the members of the Board recognize their fiduciary responsibility to ensure
that the University's budget strikes a balance between actual resources and commitments;
and
WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees to add or remove any intercollegiate
sports for Winthrop University; and
WHEREAS, the decision to end tennis at Winthrop University has been difficult but
necessary to ensure the long-term financial health of the Athletics division as a
combination of budgetary constraints related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the diminishing
funding from a collection of sources;
THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED by the Board of Trustees of Winthrop University that
both the Men’s and Women’s Tennis programs be discontinuedimmediately as intercollegiate
scholarship sports at Winthrop University with currently enrolled student athletes
retaining their scholarships through the completion of their fourth academic year
if they remain at Winthrop.
APPROVED, this 19th day of June, 2020.
