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| JWU-Denver athletics photo |
Johnson & Wales University-Denver has made the difficult decision to end all of its athletic programs, effectively immediately, university president Richard Wiscott announced Friday.
On Thursday, university chancellor Mim Runey announced that the JWU Board of Trustees had voted to cease operations of the JWU Denver campus in the summer of 2021. As a result, the university is unable to accept any incoming students for the upcoming 2020-21 academic year.
"I am deeply saddened by this decision and we are doing everything we can to identify alternatives for these dedicated and talented student athletes," Wiscott said.
JWU-Denver was a member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and a provisional member of NCAA Division III, not eligible for the NCAA Tournament.
Safety concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with concerns over being able to field complete rosters, made going forward with athletics for the 2020-21 year unrealistic.
The athletic department is distraught to see its 15 intercollegiate varsity programs come to an end like this and is heartbroken for each and every one of its dedicated student-athletes, according to a news release.
The wellbeing of its student-athletes remains the top priority for the athletic department's staff and coaches. They are committed to doing everything they can to find each Wildcat a new institution to continue their athletic careers. Athletic director Greg Waggoner has issued a blanket release for all its student-athletes to speak with other schools.