The Economic Downturn

It looks like Princeton isn't the only prominent university that has been affected by the recent economic downturn.

On February 25, The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Stanford University is going to take measures to reduce the size of its athletic program in order to respond to the current economic situation. The article notes that, while Stanford will keep intact its 35 athletic teams and personnel, 21 people from the Athletic Department itself will see their jobs being erased.

Stanford's Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby noted that the University could potentially save approximately $2.5 million from such measures as cutting the 21 department posts.

The news coming from Stanford is huge because this particular university represents the top tier of athletic programs in the country. In fact, last year, Stanford was awarded the Division I U.S. Sports Academy Director's Cup, given annually to the best athletic department in the country. It was the 14th straight time that Stanford had won the accolade.