Miami University trustees voted unanimously to give a temporary reprieve to four men’s sports, including soccer, that had been recommended for elimination because of Title IX concerns. Trustees tabled action on the recommendation to eliminate soccer, golf, tennis and wresting until the next board meeting April 16 in order to give fans and former athletes a chance to demonstrate their monetary support for intercollegiate athletics. The decision comes three days after South Alabama dropped men’s soccer. Other schools that have dropped soccer due to Title IX concerns are North Texas, Illinois State, Central Michigan and Texas Pan-American. The only men’s soccer program still active after receiving an initial death sentence is Cal State Northridge. Balancing the Miami athletic budget and working toward compliance with federal Title IX requirements without eliminating the four men’s programs is estimated to cost $1.4 million annually. The Miami trustees’ goal would be to create a permanent endowment of at least $13 million plus increase the amount of annual revenue from student fees and other sources by $700,000 a year or, alternatively, create a larger permanent endowment. Trustees asked that students, who currently pay $405 of their $960 general fee to intercollegiate athletics, be surveyed to determine if they would approve an increase of up to $50 annually in the general fee for use by ICA. Nathan Estep, president of Associated Student Government, told trustees he is opposed to raising the fee for athletics because of the financial hardship it would cause and the need to enhance services, such as counseling, for Miami’s entire student body. Student fees account for 63 percent of the budget for intercollegiate athletics at Miami compared to 6 percent on average at other NCAA Division IA institutions. Players and coaches were warned that they must come back with a plan at the April meeting that would have a “reasonable chance” of providing a permanent solution to the chronic budgetary problems facing intercollegiate athletics at Miami. Miami’s divisional support office will assist the development staff at ICA in drafting a fundraising plan. A priority should be to obtain gifts and enforceable pledges from former Miami athletes by the April board meeting because the success of that appeal can help determine how successful future appeals to other alumni will be, said Ken Burke, vice president for university relations. Trustee Roger Howe called the proposal a last-ditch effort for Miami to save men’s sports while meeting Title IX gender equity requirements. He and other trustees indicated that they are ready to make the “hard decision” to cut teams if strong financial support fails to materialize. Trustees explained that they had received hundreds of passionate letters from fans and former athletes asking for a chance to save the teams. The delay will allow these supporters to show what they can do, said trustees.