COLORADO SPRINGS (KXRM) — The University of Colorado Colorado Springs announced that the men’s and women’s golf programs will be discontinued following the 2023 spring season.

UCCS spokesperson Chris Valentine mentioned lower enrollment numbers and budget issues as the main reasons for the change.

“Our enrollment is down just by a few percentage points, but that means we need to tighten our belt just a little bit,” Valentine said. “Across the campus we had to look at some budget saving opportunities. It’s a hard decision. These athletes work their whole lives to be college athletes.”

Valentine said other athletic programs will not be affected by the current budgetary restrictions. However, the golf programs will be able to finish out the 2023 spring semester, with the men scheduled to play in six tournaments, while the women will play in five.

The men’s golf team is coached by Phil Trujillo, who is in his 24th year in that position. Todd Laxson is in his fourth year coaching the women’s team.

“The silver lining, I guess if there’s good news here, is we will honor our athletes’ scholarships for next year,” Valentine said. “So, if an athlete was a junior this year and wanted to complete their education, UCCS will honor their scholarships for one more year.

“We’ll also support those athletes who may be younger in their career and want to transfer, and at this point provide them with support they need to hopefully compete for a different institution.”