COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — North Idaho College (NIC) announced it will eliminate its men’s and women’s golf programs as part of a broader restructuring of its Athletics program aimed at addressing the college’s unsustainable financial trajectory. The programs will be phased out after the Spring Semester of 2025.
In a press release, NIC explained that the restructuring is necessary due to increasing costs, including a $4 million budget shortfall in the current fiscal year. This follows the college’s decision to transition its athletics from the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) to the Scenic West Athletic Conference (SWAC), a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The move, along with the decision to offer full tuition for international and out-of-state students—covering tuition, fees, room and board, books, and travel expenses—caused the athletics budget to surge from $2.2 million in 2023-2024 to $6.2 million in 2024-2025.
“The decision to cut golf was a difficult one, but necessary for the sustainability of the program,” said NIC Interim Provost Lloyd Duman. “Golf is a sport that has relatively high costs per student. Also, due to Title IX, there has to be gender equity when eliminating a sport, and Golf has both men’s and women’s teams.”
The elimination of the golf program will impact approximately 11 student-athletes, some of whom could have returned to compete in the coming year. However, NIC will continue to honor tuition, fees, and room and board for golf student-athletes who choose to remain enrolled at the college through the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters.
“Golf was the most recent addition to NIC Athletics,” Duman added. “This decision does not reflect on the quality of the program or the people involved. It was made to affect the least number of student-athletes and employees as possible.”
NIC said that they are trying stabilize its athletics budget. The college has stated it does not plan to eliminate any other athletic programs but will consider further cost-cutting measures in the future to ensure financial sustainability.
“Coach Russell Grove should be commended for the work he’s done,” said NIC President Nick Swayne. “His golf teams have excelled and they should be proud of their accomplishments. It’s extremely unfortunate, but we have run out of options.”
