Get used to this kind of announcement from the colleges. Gov. Chris Gregoire gave all the universities a lot of flexibility to decide what to cut from their respective budgets and they appear to be exercising that up Bellingham way.

Funny thing, the WWU news release makes absolutely no mention of how much money it would be saving by dropping football. That's odd, since it was a budget-saving move. Then again, maybe it's like the Tacoma School Distict announcing that is will have to cut all the music programs and football if voters don't approve a property tax increase.

UPDATE: The Bellingham Herald found out cutting football will save $450,000 a year. Its story is below.

By Joe Sunnen
The Bellingham Herald

BELLINGHAM -- The Western Washington University football team has become the latest casuality of budget cuts in higher education across the state, school officials announced Thursday, Jan. 8.

The university is cutting the football program effective immediately in an attempt to balance an athletic department budget that has been operating at a deficit for the last five years.

Cutting the program, which has been a part of the athletic landscape at WWU for the last 100 years, should save the school around $450,000 a year in the next two to three years and help stabilize the remaining 15 intercollegiate athletic programs for the forseeable future, said Eileen Coughlin, vice president for Student Affairs and Academic Support Services.

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“It was a difficult decision,” Coughlin said. “Reaching this point has been kind of an evalution. Expenditures have exceeded revenue for the last five years and with budget cuts and a weakening economy, it was clear we weren’t going to be able to make things work any longer. We left no stone unturned in trying to avoid this decision.”

The administration has been exploring ways to reduce budget costs for months and began seriously exploring the elimination of the program in December, Coughlin said. The final decision was made two days ago and approved by University President Bruce Shepard. Coaches, players, parents and alumni were notified Thursday morning.

“It’s sad,” WWU coach Robin Ross said. “It’s sad on a lot of levels, but the saddest thing is that kids will have one less opportunity to go to school and get some of their education paid for.”

Current members of the team will be allowed to retain their scholarship monies if they choose to stay at WWU, Coughlin said. The football program had 24 full scholarships, but only a handful of players received full-ride offers. Most of the scholarships were parceled out among the 100 student-athletes on the roster.

“As a player I didn’t see this coming at all,” redshirt freshman Dirk Dallas said in a phone interview. “I’m just in shock right now. I can’t imagine not having to lift on Thursday or not playing next fall.”

WWU began playing football in 1903, and with the exception of short stoppages during World Wars I and II, had fielded a team for 98 seasons. During that span the Vikings put together a 383-380-34 record and competed at the NAIA and NCAA Division II level.

Here's the story from our sister paper, the Bellingham Herald, which has the full text of the WWU news release.