The University of Maine Athletic Advisory Board will conduct a meeting Wednesday to solicit input regarding a budget recommendation placed before it to withdraw varsity status from men’s soccer and men’s and women’s swimming and diving.

The public meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Room 100 of the Donald P. Corbett Business Building adjacent to the Maine Center for the Arts on the Orono campus.

Team members and coaches from the men’s soccer and men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs, as well as athletic staff and members of the public, are invited to attend and speak regarding the proposed changes.

Members of the Athletic Advisory Board will attend the event to hear the discussion. The board is then responsible for forwarding its recommendation to UMaine President Peter Hoff.

People interested in making sport-specific comments regarding the swimming or soccer programs should contact the teams’ respective head coaches by noon Tuesday. Swim coach Jeff Wren can be reached at 518-1076, while men’s soccer coach Travers Evans is available at 581-4777.

Those coaches will determine who will speak during their 30- to 40-minute allotted time frames during Wednesday’s session.

People who wish to make a comment that may not be sport specific during the open period are asked to contact AAB chair Kathryn Slott via e-mail at

kathryn.slott@umit.main.edu by noon Tuesday.

Speaking time is limited and those unable to speak at the event or wishing to add a comment should submit comments via e-mail to Slott.

The schedule for the May 8 program is as follows:

7:05-7:35 p.m. – Representatives of the swim program speak

7:35-7:45 – Public invited to speak regarding swim programs

7:45-7:50 – Break

7:50-8:20 – Representatives of the men’s soccer program speak

8:20-8:30 – Public invited to speak regarding men’s soccer program

8:30-9:00 – Open comments, not sport specific