UNI Athletic Director Troy Dannen says the decision by the school to drop the sport of baseball has nothing to do with gender equity but instead is simply a financial matter. In fact, Dannen says the program could be saved if enough money is raised in the next month.
Dannen says it’s a matter of funding and he says if the funds are replaced from private sources then there is no reason why an action has to be taken. But Dannen says it will take more than one million dollars to keep it going. He says it’s not raising money for one year, it’s raising support for the program to sustain it perpetually.
Baseball coach Rick Heller says he is approaching it like there is a chance baseball will continue. Heller says you never know, he says hopefully the message will go out all over the state and they can get 1.2 million dollars. Heller says they have a chance to have a very good team next year.
Heller says he will do whatever he can, "If there’s a chance we will fight." He says he owes it to anyone who ever put on the uniform to keep fighting and it would be a "waste" if he didn’t.