so it decided to discontinue intercollegiate athletics in 1998. I believe NE Illinois was the first (and maybe only) DI school to make the decision to eliminate its athletic department. When NE Illinois made its decision, I believe it was somewhat shocking to some because NE Illinois is a public university. However, if you look at NE Illinois' decision to rise quickly to DI and the growing amount of expenses associated with the decision, then the decision may not be that shocking after all.

It appears NE Illinois didn't start participating in intercollegiate athletics until 1967. It spent the next 20 years as a member of the NAIA before switching to the NCAA in 1988. After a transitional season in DII, NE Illinois switched to DI. NE Illinois had trouble finding a permanent home until the Mid-Continent Conference (now the Summit League) invited them to join the conference in 1994. 4 years later the school has no athletic department and the only intercollegiate athletics students can participate in is at the club level.

If enough people feel the current system is that broken, then VT can do what NE Illinois did in 1998, join the NAIA, switch to another division level within the NCAA, or soldier on. The choice is ultimately in our (aka Hokie Family) hands.