UTC cutting men’s track and field teams

Bill Gautier

Bill Gautier didn’t sleep much Monday night.

Gautier, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga track and cross country coach for the last 23 years, worried about a meeting with athletic director David Blackburn scheduled bright and early at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.

He expected it to be bad. It turned out to be worse than his nightmares.

Blackburn told Gautier that the men’s indoor and outdoor track programs would be eliminated at the end of the school year to improve UTC’s compliance with Title IX federal requirements.

“I do understand that we have a problem with Title IX,” Gautier said. “I do understand that Mr. Blackburn had to make a tough decision.