A wave of disbelief and anger is sweeping through the McGill sports community. More than a dozen varsity and competitive teams are facing elimination, sparking petitions and a desperate plea from students and alumni to reverse the decision. The cuts impact a wide range of sports, from track and field to tennis, leaving athletes questioning how and why their programs were deemed unsustainable.
Perry Karnofsky, McGill’s director of services, wellness programs and facility operations, acknowledges the pain felt by the student-athletes. He insists the decision wasn’t simply about finances, but a difficult reckoning with the university’s capacity to support its growing athletic programs. “If I was a student, I’d feel the same way,” he admitted, recognizing the devastating impact of the cuts.
The decision stems from both a 2024 internal audit and a 2025 external review by KPMG, revealing a system stretched too thin. McGill developed a four-box system to evaluate each sport, considering factors beyond wins and losses – HR workload, financial viability, equipment needs, and communications support. The goal was to determine which programs had the resources to truly compete at a high level.
Karnofsky explained the university assessed teams against their peers within the same classification. The analysis revealed a critical issue: resources were spread too thinly, hindering the potential for success across many programs. “A lot of our teams just don’t have enough to succeed because maybe we’re just too big,” he stated, highlighting the challenge of supporting a broad range of athletic endeavors.
The decision wasn’t made lightly, and the timing has drawn particular criticism. Just days before the announcement, McGill President Deep Saini celebrated student-athletes on the President’s Student-Athlete Honour Roll, recognizing their academic achievements. The irony wasn’t lost on athletes like William Sanders, a decorated track and field sprinter.
Sanders expressed his heartbreak, recalling the president’s praise and wishing for a more honest conversation. “I wish they had the courage to tell us that they didn’t believe these things… and we were soon to no longer be student athletes at this school,” he said, voicing the frustration felt by many who felt blindsided by the news.
Even programs like tennis and squash, boasting strong records and largely self-funded, weren’t spared. Karnofsky explained the need for a consistent framework, emphasizing that all teams competing under the McGill banner must adhere to the same guidelines. He acknowledged the difficult decision, stating, “It broke my heart to tell tennis and squash we can no longer support them.”
The university maintains the cuts are final, a conclusion reached after careful consideration and extensive review. While the decision offers no easy answers, McGill officials insist it was a necessary step to ensure the long-term health and viability of its remaining athletic programs, a move born of difficult choices and a stark assessment of available resources.
The list of discontinued sports is extensive: badminton, baseball, fencing, logger sports, Nordic skiing, women’s rugby, women’s field hockey, sailing, figure skating, golf, women’s lacrosse, squash, tennis, men’s volleyball and both the men’s and women’s track and field programs.
