By Jim Ecker
March 6, 2009

Troy Dannen is sorry. And he should be.

He's sorry he announced last summer that he wouldn't eliminate any sports at the University of Northern Iowa to balance the budget and solve gender-equity problems. He made that pledge when he was introduced as UNI's new director of athletics, all smiles and good cheer.

He's also sorry that UNI's baseball players had to find out their program was being cut through the media, rather than from him personally. The Panthers were on a road trip to Arkansas when the story broke in Iowa on Friday, Feb. 20, forcing Coach Rick Heller to confirm the news in an impromptu meeting in Little Rock.

Dannen planned to tell them, but not until after they'd returned to Cedar Falls. In reality, it doesn't matter when they found out. Or where. The news wasn't going to change, whether they were told in Arkansas, Iowa or Timbuktu.

Dannen met with the team for 90 minutes on Monday, Feb. 23 to explain the situation, apologize and answer their questions.

"They're mad, and they should be mad," he said. "They've worked awfully hard for a long time to make this program go."

Dannen said he considered all options before deciding to drop the baseball program after the 2009 season. He extended an olive branch, telling the Panthers they could save the program for three years if they raise $1.2 million by April, but that seems like a pipedream at this point.

The baseball team loses about $400,000 every year, because revenues do not cover expenses. In addition, the athletic department is faced with having $500,000 to $600,000 stripped from its budget due to a 9 percent decline in money from UNI's general fund as part of statewide cuts. All departments face cuts, not just sports. It extends to academics and everything else.

"There's a big cut coming, and it's going to impact us all," said Dannen.

He's sorry for saying last summer that he wouldn't cut any sports to balance the budget, but added that times have changed. He had to do something to battle the red ink, he said.

"Circumstances have changed," he said. "Circumstances are going to impact the entire university, and not just the athletic department and not just the baseball program. But today, the baseball program is suffering more than anybody else at the university."

Dannen said across-the-board cuts in all sports would not have solved the financial problem. Something had to go, and it wasn't going to be a women's sport because of gender-equity concerns.

"Baseball was the sport that was chosen," he said. "We looked at others."

Dannen said several factors pointed to baseball. The Panthers do not have an on-campus facility and rent space at aging Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo, which costs money and limits revenue opportunities. Also, the Panthers had to schedule their first 21 games on the road this season due to weather-related issues in Iowa. This year is no different than other years in that regard, but times have changed.

Dannen, a UNI alum, was asked if cutting the baseball program was tough for him personally.

"Not nearly as tough as it has been for them," he said, addressing the players. "I've been sick to my stomach, but my life's not impacted nearly as much as their life is being impacted. So far, this is easily the worst thing I've ever had to do."

There are no winners here, unless the Panthers can perform a miracle and raise $1.2 million in the next few weeks. That would save the program through 2012, but they'd have to raise another $10 million by 2012 to endow the program and keep it going after that.

There's a glimmer of hope, but it won't happen without your support. You can help by making a pledge at www.SupportUNIBaseball.com. The campaign had raised $206,000 by Friday afternoon, March 6, but there's a long, long way to go.

Dig deep. The Panthers need you.