EUNICE, La. – LSU Eunice will suspend the Men's Basketball program effective immediately for the upcoming 2023-24 season, it was announced on Friday.
 
"This was not an easy decision but as we crunched the numbers for the upcoming year's budget, this had to be done," LSU Eunice athletic director Jeff Willis said. 
 
A key component to the LSU Eunice athletic budget is an athletic fee assessed to on-campus students. Despite a growing enrollment in the last few years at LSU Eunice, an increasing amount of these students are in online learning as well as our dual enrollment and Academy programs.  Those students are not accessed fees, some of which go towards the athletic department, thus creating a shortfall in the athletic operating budget. 
 
This decrease, on top of rising costs across the board on expenses due to nationwide inflation made the continuation of the athletic department as it is currently structured unsustainable.
 
"We are very proud of our athletic accomplishments and success; however, this tough decision is a way to avoid further financial damage to our athletic department," LSU Eunice Chancellor Dr. Nancee Sorenson said.  "Our institution is no different than the families and businesses affected by rising costs as we too are feeling the strain of inflation and must make difficult decisions."
 
All student-athletes signed for the upcoming 2023-24 academic year will still have their scholarships honored by the university.