Muscatine Community College will suspend its athletic program, school officials announced Friday.
The two-year college decided to end its athletic programs following the upcoming 2015-16 season because it has become difficult for it to maintain a level of competitiveness without the similar level of financial support many other colleges receive, The Muscatine Journal reported.
The school currently fields teams in baseball and softball.
"We are looking at this as an opportunity to provide a more robust student life for all of our students," Interim President Ellen Kabat-Lensch said in a statement. "We are very proud of the athletic tradition at MCC and thank all of our coaches and student athletes, both present and past, for their dedication to the college and their teams. This has not been an easy decision but we think it is the best decision for all of our students."
The school will work to create more activities to offer all of its students and "shift resources" that have gone to athletic programs into entities in which more students will be able to participate, Inside Higher Ed reported.
School officials will be meeting with the student body this coming year to determine what opportunities they would like to see added at the college, be that in intramural sports, clubs, community service projects or some other area.
"I think this will be an exciting new direction for the college and we're anxious to hear what ideas our students might have for our student life," Kabat-Lensch added.
Scholarships for all of the players will be honored for the 2015-16 academic year. Freshmen student athletes who wish to continue their education with MCC after this year will also have their athletic scholarships honored for the 2016-17 academic year.
According to school officials, the college is committed to working with students who wish to transfer to another college.
