Sheridan College Still Examining When To Bring Athletics Back

It’s been two years since Sheridan College eliminated athletics and it could be another two years before they’re brought back.

When the covid pandemic hit in 2020, the Northern Wyoming Community College District was facing a financial loss of $4.2 million and eliminating athletics at both Sheridan and Gillette colleges allowed the District to make-up more than half of that loss.

Two weeks ago, the new Gillette College Board of Trustees voted to bring athletics back, starting in August of 2023.

Last year Sheridan College President Dr. Walter Tribley said he was hoping to make a recommendation to the District Board of Trustees at around the start of the 2023-24 school year, to bring athletics back and have it start in August of 2024.

He adds the district needs to see enrollment efficiency take a very strong positive step forward and 2 years of data should support that.

Right now, it’s so far, so good.

“We need to see efficient enrollments for a period of time, a string of semesters, I need to see a pattern that we’re moving in the right direction, before I make such a recommendation. I also need to get a better feeling for what the impact of losing Gillette revenue will be on the District.”

The sports that Gillette College plans to bring back are men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, and the college will start a women’s volleyball team.