Shockingly yesterday Robert Morris University announced that it will no longer field their NCAA Division I men’s and women’s ice hockey teams. The decision was made, and it was released not in a press conference or a meeting. The decision and the release of information was done in a Tweet by the university’s admin.
A Tweet.
That ladies and gentlemen is exactly how you don’t deliver bad news. A Tweet.
Apparently someone in the Robert Morris Administration did not take a Public Relations class or simply forgot what proper business rules would guide the administration to do in this situation.
No prior warning was given to the Coaching staff’s of the programs and Players had no clue this was about to happen. Everyone learned about this on Twitter.
WOW
Approximately 55 student-athletes and seven staff positions will be impacted by the move as well as countless others that have been involved with what once was the only division, one hockey team, in Pittsburgh.
Of course the university is now saying that it will honor all scholarships of players that are affected by the move and will have support services available for student-athletes.
Fortunately any student athletes that choose to transfer will not have to sit out a season. Unfortunately this will create an even bigger backlog of players who will have commitments delayed when these players get on to new rosters.
If anyone want’s to learn how not to fold a program, this will be the greatest example in hockey anyone can follow.
