PSAC and Wolves facing issues after Cheyney drops football program

LOCK HAVEN, Pennsylvania -- When it was announced last month that CheyneyUniversity was discontinuing its football program, Steve Murray was hardly shocked. The commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference saw it coming.

“No, it was not a surprise at all,” he said. “We had some conversations with them back in the middle of the summer about their financial situation — and the realities of it.”

The PSAC announced on Dec. 7 that Cheyney dropped its football program amid the university’s tough financial times. The decision to eliminate the program has sent shockwaves throughout the PSAC, of which IUP is a member.

“We’ve responded and made the schools aware of the situation,” Murray said. “We’re getting the word out and getting information, but it’s not easy by any stretch of the imagination.”

Back in August, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, which oversees the 14 state-owned universities, announced it would forgive Cheyney’s more than $30 million in debt if the university can maintain a balanced budget over the next four years. That means Cheyney needed to begin slashing its budget — and the football program was one of the first things to go.

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