Western Washington U Drops Football

Didn't expect this:

Western Washington has dropped its football program because of budget concerns, the school said in a press release issued today.
"Ending the football program will allow intercollegiate athletics to meet budget reduction targets, and, most importantly, to protect the quality of the remaining intercollegiate sports,” Eileen Coughlin, WWU vice president for student affairs and academic support services, said in the release.

Football began at Western in 1903. The only stoppages in the program were during World Wars – from 1917 through 1920, and from 1943 through 1945.

“In my 22 years as director of athletics at Western, this is by far the toughest decision that I have been a part of,” WWU director of athletics Lynda Goodrich said.

What I've always heard is that football is the engine that drives the athletics car; that the money a school makes off of football can pay for the other niche programs like cross country, soccer, and the like. I'd be curious to get a good look at Western's athletics budget and see what the case is.