Considering removing tennis and golf; follows decision by community colleges in Maricopa County to end football
Pima Community College in Tucson will eliminate its football program after next season so it can reach mandated budget cuts. This will save at least $500,000 in the College’ s budget.
The College’s Governing Board met Wednesday, June 13 and officials approved the budget cuts that resulted in elimination of football. It was also suggested that the golf and tennis programs could be eliminated at some time in the future.
Pima College athletic director Edgar Soto had reportedly been ordered to cut more than $500,000 from the budget. The decision was accepted by Chancellor Lee Lambert. Pima Community College announced budget cuts in mid-April that included eliminating about six percent of its staff, equal to roughly 51 full-time positions, in addition to 10 instructional faculty and three administrative office positions.
The Maricopa Community College District announced in February 2018 it would be cutting football after the 2018 season. It is said that this decision may have forced Pima’s administration to take a hard look at its own athletic program.
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Concerned parents of a student athlete, Geoff and Heather Tippit, spoke to the Yavapai Community College Governing Board at its May meeting about what their son has “endured” while a member of the College baseball team. Mr. Tippit laid blame on the Community College coach who had recruited an athlete that Mr. Tippit alleged “had no business being here.” Mr. Tippit also alleged the athlete stole from the team and was involved in “heavy drug usage.”
Based on a roster analysis, the almost $600,000 went to students 95% of whom were residents of communities outside Yavapai County, outside Arizona and occasionally outside the United States. Moreover, these scholarships appear to be taking up around 75% of the available institutional scholarships (those financed by taxpayers) given out by the College. Somehow, that seems unfair to County taxpayers and County high school graduates who find it difficult, if not almost impossible, to land a slot on any one of the four teams.
The following is a list of some of the great programs being offered by the College on the West side of the County in Prescott and Prescott Valley.
Yavapai Community College President Penelope Wills said during a radio broadcast on Prescott radio station KYCA on September 30 that basketball might make a return sometime in the future. She said: “If we get five years of sustained funding, we will bring basketball back.” She did not elaborate. The recorded broadcast can be found by 
An extensive Media Guide and Record Book for the Community College Soccer team has been produced. 
The soccer team is one of several championship teams developed by the Prescott based administrators for the Prescott campus. Over the last 26 years this team and others have played all their games or matches in Prescott or Prescott Valley. Some suspect that the scrimmage is an effort to reduce criticism coming from the Verde Valley over the cost and exclusiveness of the various athletic programs based on the Prescott campus.