Last Friday, N.C. A&T’s athletic department announced a seven-year plan that would bring in four new teams. The plan is to have a men’s and women’s golf, women’s soccer, and men’s tennis team, while doing away with the women’s swim team.

Athletic Director, Earl Hilton expressed confidence in the decision stating, “the institution and department will move in a better direction with these changes.”

“It was coordinated. But each addition [sport] was an individual step,” said Hilton when asked about the fashion in which the overall decision came into place.

Hilton made it known that the decision advances the A&T Preeminence 2020 plan by recruiting a more diverse group of student athletes.

“Adding soccer should allow us to pull from a broader demographic market…golf the same way,” said Hilton.

Preeminence 2020 is a long-term plan for the university that was introduced by Chancellor Harold Martin in the summer of 2011.

Hilton says the decision brings “more athletes onto campus, provides more opportunities for women with the addition of two new women’s sports and the opportunity to compete for MEAC championships.”

According to the Athletic Department’s scorecard goals, expectations are that by 2020, A&T will compete for five MEAC championships and boast a 65 percent graduation rate amongst student athletes.

If all goes as planned, A&T will introduce men’s tennis by 2015, the men’s and women’s golf team by 2017, the women’s soccer team by 2020, and dismantle the women’s swim team by 2016.

A&T acknowledged that scholarships for members of the women’s swim team would be honored until the program is officially terminated.

Current swim team members hold the option to transfer to other institutions immediately without losing a year of eligibility.

When asked how long it took to officially make the decision, Hilton said, “this is a conversation I’ve been having with the swimming coach since I got here. It was discussed for months in various administrative units around campus.”

NCAA Division I swimming programs are granted the equivalent of 14 full scholarships.

Hilton briefly explained the rationale for removing women’s swimming when stating, “we must, however, move our department to where every athlete has the opportunity to compete for a conference and NCAA title. I don’t see a scenario where the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference will sponsor swimming in the foreseeable future.”

A&T’s swimming program has existed since 1997.

According to an A&T press release from July 12, 2006, the men’s tennis team, set to be reinstated next year, was dismantled in 2006 due to challenges facing the athletic budget.

The removal of the squad left the Aggies with 15 varsity sports, the NCAA requires a minimum of 14 for Division I status.

The women’s tennis team is 7-47 over the last four seasons.

In 2006, then A&T athletic director, Dee Todd, prophesized a portion of Friday’s announcement stating, “the department will investigate the possibility of adding men’s golf in the near future.”

The men’s and women’s golf teams, set to compete in 2016-2017, will receive a total of ten and a half scholarships.

Men’s golf will receive four and a half and women’s golf will receive six.

At this point, no arrangements have been made concerning the golf courses A&T will use.

The men’s tennis team is likely to start competing next season, with the NCAA allotting for four and a half scholarships.

The women’s soccer team, set to debut around 2020, and will be given fourteen scholarships.

When asked if there was a possibility of additional sports being discontinued or added in the near future, Hilton said, “Discontinued—I’d be very surprised. Adding — is always a possibility.”

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• Kalyn Hoyle, Managing Editor