Sports sponsorship: The University of Kansas has announced it will discontinue its men's tennis and men's swimming programs. Kansas Athletics Director Robert Frederick cited travel expenses, which have gone up 115 percent since Kansas joined the Big 12 Conference, and increased scholarship costs, which have added nearly $1 million to the Kansas budget in the last three years, as two of the main reasons for the decision. "This is easily the most difficult thing I've done in my 14 years here," Frederick told The Kansas City Star. "We're not alone in our financial problems. This has been a national problem." By cutting the two programs, Frederick said Kansas could reduce its budget by about $3.6 million over the next five years. Thirty-six Kansas athletes receive financial aid for one of the two sports. Frederick said the university will honor the scholarships until the recipients have received an undergraduate degree or completed their five-year plan. He also said Kansas would assist those athletes in transferring to another university if that was their wish ... Southeastern Louisiana University announced that it will reinstate football at the school beginning with the 2003 season. The Lions will compete in Division I-AA and function as an independent for the first two years, then enter the Southland Football League in 2005. The football program was terminated after the 1985 season for a variety of reasons, including a lack of funding, according to university President Sally Clausen. In 1998, Southeastern Louisiana appointed a committee to look into the reinstatement of football. That committee rejected the idea, citing uncertainty about gender equity and funding. The SLU Football Association agreed in 1999 to raise the funds necessary to reinstate the program after an analysis showed it would take approximately $1.2 million per year to bring football back. "We will be putting money into gender equity to ensure as we move forward, we are not remiss in our gender-equity priorities," Clausen said. "We are going to reduce two baseball scholarships and build new facilities for our softball and soccer teams. We will also add a coach-and-a-half to women's basketball so all of that will balance it out."

Miscellaneous: Host Communications, Inc., which serves as the marketing partner for the Southern Conference, announced the addition of Student Insurance Company to the league's corporate partner program. Student Insurance, based in Los Angeles, has signed a three-year commitment to become the "Official Insurance Administrator" for the Southern Conference, effective February 1, 2001. The partnership will provide Student Insurance use of the conference mark and logo, and a direct link to each of the 12 member institutions in five Southeastern states ... The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference announced it has signed a marketing and promotional partnership with JetBlue Airways of New York. The partnership was secured by MAAC Properties, a division of Host Communications, Inc. Based at John F. Kennedy International Airport, JetBlue flies to 12 destinations around the U.S. and will assist the MAAC with its members' traveling needs. As part of the partnership, JetBlue will sponsor a "JetBlue Halftime Shootout" at every televised MAAC basketball game, allowing fans to attempt shots for prizes. The airline also will be the title sponsor for the conference's men's and women's golf championships.

Milestones: Jacksonville State University baseball coach Rudy Abbott picked up his 1,000th career victory in a 4-3 win over Belhaven College March 10. Abbott, who is in his 32nd season at the helm of the Gamecocks, is the all-time winningest coach in Alabama collegiate sports history. His record now stands at 1,000-437-5 and he becomes just the 29th coach in NCAA history to reach the 1,000-win plateau. "It was a special moment in my life," Abbott said. "It's a tribute to our players, our baseball alumni and their parents, the JSU community and the great fans." Abbott came to Jacksonville State as the school's first sports information director in 1964. He took over the baseball program in 1970.

-- Compiled by Gary T. Brown