The Huskie scholarship program at the University of Saskatchewan is facing nearly 25 to 30 per cent reductions due to COVID-19.

Chief athletics officer Dave Hardy says that the total amount allocated to Huskie scholarships in a typical year is about one million dollars distributed to 400 student athletes at the university. This year, the scholarship fund lost a significant amount of revenue from fundraisers cancelled to accommodate public health restrictions.

Although no scholarships have been cancelled and few have been changed, Hardy says the reductions in funding have been causing some issues.

“Because we have less money to distribute, there were fewer full tuitions paid,” Hardy said. “Because there’s less money, there were fewer student athletes that were able to receive their athlete assistance.”

Libby Epoch, president of the Huskie Athletics Council and fifth-year engineering student on the women’s basketball team, says that students were given some warning prior to the changes.

“We were informed that if we continued training full time and doing all our full-time duties as a student athlete … our scholarships would remain in place,” Epoch said. “If we chose not to come back and train, then it may be a different discussion.”

In the meantime, many student athletes have picked up jobs or found other income sources to manage training and living expenses. 

The problem is not only pressing for university student athletes. High school students are now relying on Zoom and phone calls to compete for athletic scholarships, whereas before recruiting would take place in person. With public health guidelines on team sports, even in-person practices are not done in full.

However, Epoch says that it will be a “great year” for Canadian universities to recruit because of how much students look forward to competing again. 

“I think a lot of high school students will be very eager to play at the university level because they’ve had that year off [and] they’ve been itching to get back on the court or the playing field,” Epoch said.

Currently, all team sports are suspended. Athletes and dancers under 18 years may continue conditioning and skills training in groups of eight or less. Mask use and physical distancing is required at all times. 

The Huskies are preparing for a tentative opening as Fall Term 2021 approaches. Epoch says student athletes continue to train as much as restrictions allow while trying to find a balance in the new normal. Students hoping to get recruited are making phone calls and sending out game tapes to prepare.

“A lot of [it is] just focusing on school and managing our physical and mental health in these crazy times,” Epoch said.

Hardy, who is cautiously optimistic, says that the annual Dog’s Breakfast is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 2021. The Huskies anticipate decreased funding but are looking forward to playing again with the promise of a vaccine approaching.

“We’re just getting ready for September like everybody else and our athletes are anxious to get out of the pandemic, not only for personal reasons but for athletic reasons,” Hardy said.

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Fiza Baloch | Staff Writer

Graphic: Kanika Gupta