ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Earlier this month, Concordia University Ann Arbor announced it will be discontinuing athletics after the 2024-2025 school year.
“After the 2024-25 academic year, all intercollegiate athletic programs on the Ann Arbor campus will be discontinued,” Erik Ankerberg, president of Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor, wrote in a statement posted to the Concordia website.
All sports for the 2024-2025 academic year will continue -- as long as the roster size of the athletic programs meet requirements determined by the university.
“From current reports, roster sizes for most sports appear to meet these requirements,” Ankerberg wrote.
Last week, CUAA announced that only seven programs, four undergraduate and three graduate, will remain on campus after the 2024-2025 academic year. Students with majors in all other programs have the option of finishing their degree online or transferring to the Concordia University Wisconsin campus.
These decisions left many students feeling frustrated. Here is what some student-athletes at CUAA had to say:
Makena Burke is a marketing major who just finished her sophomore year on the dance team at CUAA. Burke was named Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Second Team All-Conference for both her freshman and sophomore year seasons. She said dance has been an important part of her college experience.
“As a student, a leader, and an athlete who is deeply invested in our school, I find this decision both disheartening and concerning. The athletic program, specifically the dance program, has been an integral part of my personal growth and college experience . . . Athletics are such a huge part of the Concordia experience and taking it away leaves many of us confused, frustrated, and left feeling a lack of purpose. The decision to cut many academic programs is particularly troubling. The elimination of the entire school of business undermines my educational goals and forces me to reconsider my path forward. I have dedicated significant time and effort into this university, and I truly can’t imagine attending anywhere else; so, I won’t. My plan is to get my degree from CUAA, no matter what that may look like . . . The programs being eliminated are not just lines in a budget; they represent the passions, dreams, and futures of many students like myself.”
Makena Burke
Neil Heinlein is a rising senior on the golf team. In 2022, he was the top finisher on CUAA’s golf team at the 2022 WHAC golf championships. Heinlein ended the three-round tournament tied for 27th place.
“It’s unfortunate that it has come down to this honestly, and it’s sad to see.”
Marcus Bugeja is a rising senior on the baseball team at Concordia. He is a pitcher, and his major is Sport and Entertainment Business. In 2023, he was named NAIA Scholar-Athlete. Bugeja said his decision to attend CUAA was easy, not only because his grandparents are graduates of the university, but because of the brotherhood-like atmosphere of the team.
“Finding out that all athletics are going to be cut after this upcoming academic year is very difficult. The impact that this has had on, not only the baseball team, but all teams on campus is very significant. For baseball, it has caused a great number of my teammates to really evaluate their futures at Concordia. It is unfortunate to see the news about Concordia looking to cut academic programs. Ever since I saw the news about this, it has caused not only myself, but everyone I know a great amount of stress and anxiety of not knowing if our program is going to be the one that is going to be cut or not. Every possible outcome from this has been swirling through my head and I do not know what the future is going to bring me right now.”
Marcus Bugeja
Bugeja’s Sport and Entertainment Business major is not one of the four undergraduate programs remaining on campus after 2025. After 2025, he said he will finish his degree online.
The only four programs that will stay are Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Nursing, Radio Technology and Rehabilitation Science.
“Students have been invited to webinars with their deans, program chairs, and academic advisors to discuss the changes and ask questions,” said Leah Dvorak, Vice President for Academics at Concordia University.
“All students will receive individualized academic advising in the coming weeks to develop personalized degree completion plans.”
Juliana Helisek just finished her sophomore year as a student manager on the volleyball team. She is studying Sport and Hospitality Business.
“It was very stressful to think about my academic future back in February when the initial email was sent. To this day, I am still stressed thinking about how possible it is to finish my degree at Concordia University . . . CUAA’s campus has been negatively impacted by this news. This involves everyone equally: students, faculty, coaches, alumni, and more . . . It is sad to see the place we call home become more and more distant.”
Juliana Helisek
Trey Acker is a rising junior on the baseball team. He is a right-handed pitcher. In 2023 he played in 14 games, had a 2 to 0 record, pitched 32 innings and struck out 22 batters.
“I would say athletics getting cut has a big impact on me because going into my junior year, knowing this will be the last year at Concordia, means I won’t be able to experience my senior year here . . . Concordia has been a special place for me because of all the lifelong relationships I have built here, and it’s sad that no future athletes will get to experience this program.”
Trey Acker
In previous announcements, the university said it carried a $9 million financial deficit in the last fiscal year.
All majors and sports will remain in place through May of 2025. Many students at CUAA will be forced to retire from their sport after this season. Some will transfer to other universities, but none will play at CUAA after 2025.