NASHVILLE — Fisk University’s bold experiment in women’s gymnastics is coming to an end.

The school has announced it is shuttering the program at the end of the 2026 season. Fisk made history in 2023 when it became the first historcally Black college or university to launch a women’s artistic gymnastics team.

Fisk’s ambitious move to start the program played a hand three years later in the athletic department choosing to discontinue it. Scheduling became challenging because gymnastics is the only sport at Fisk that does not compete against other HBCU schools, forcing the program to get creative and requiring the team to travel longer distances than the university’s other sports.

“While we are tremendously proud of the history our gymnastics team has made in just three years, we look forward to focusing on our conference-affiliated teams to strengthen our impact in the HBCU Athletic Conference,” athletic director Valencia Jordan said in a statement. “Fisk is grateful for the hard work, dedication and tenacity of its gymnasts, staff members, and coaches who made this program possible.”

The school said it will work with the affected athletes and coaches to ensure a “seamless transition.”

The announcement came just weeks after Fisk standout Morgan Price — a three-time All-American who became the first HBCU gymnast to record a perfect 10 — transferred to Arkansas, where she will join her older sister Frankie.

Talladega College, an HBCU in Alabama, attempted to follow in Fisk’s footsteps in 2024. That program shut down after one season due to financial concerns.

As Penn State prepares to close seven Commonwealth campuses in 2027, students say the decision will not only disrupt their education, but also dismantle the tight-knit communities they’ve come to call home. 

Dillon Yinger said Penn State York isn’t just a place to take classes, but a community.

“The smaller class sizes, the supportive faculty and the familiar faces on campus really made it feel like home,” Yinger, a second-year studying business, said.

Penn State York has a student-to-faculty ratio of 11 to one, and the average class size is 15 students.

“For many of us, this campus has been a great opportunity to be close to our families and support systems,” Yinger said. “Losing it would mean more than just the loss of buildings — it would be the loss of a place that truly cares about its students and their success.”

Smaller campuses mean more individualized attention from faculty to students, and it also means seeing more familiar faces on a day to day basis.

Myah Fullard said this was true at Penn State New Kensington, which had 432 enrolled students in 2024.

“In going to Penn State New Kensington, I was able to form so many new bonds, from cheerleading to just people I see everyday,” Fullard, a second-year studying psychology, said. “That has sadly had to fall short due to the recent decision.”

Fullard said she feels an instant relief walking across New Kensington’s campus.

“The campus is honestly like a family in how everyone is close to one another and that we all know each other in some way,” Fullard said. “I’m sad about the decision to close the campus.”

Sierra Hildebrand said that hearing the decision to close Penn State Wilkes-Barre was “devastating.”

“I don’t think it’s fair to the professors, that they’ve poured their hearts and souls into helping students get the most out of their academic journey there, to just be out of a job now,” Hildebrand, a fourth-year studying accounting, said. “And it’s also not fair to current sophomores, because they’ll need to transfer someplace else for their senior year.”

Now having transferred to the Abington campus, Hildebrand said she feels lost in such a large campus.

“I’ve never felt more alone at this campus,” Hildebrand said. “Nobody talks to anyone. It’s just very different.”

Over in southwest Pennsylvania, Penn State Fayette is the only baccalaureate-granting institution in the county. Emma Eckert said Penn State Fayette is a vital part of the local community.

“The campus has offered not only access to quality higher education for rural students, but also a sense of identity, opportunity, and pride for the region,” Eckert, a fourth-year studying psychology, said. “Its closure signals a significant loss, not just for current students and faculty, but for the broader community that has long depended on it for educational, cultural and economic support.”

Eckert said the Penn State Fayette community is already grieving the closure.

“We just don’t understand how a thriving campus like ours, who does so many things within the community and raises so much money for THON — the most other than the main campus — for so many years in a row is being selected to be cut over other campuses who we never hear about,” Eckert said.

Tyler Hanson said the decision to close Penn State DuBois will affect upcoming generations of students.

“This is (going to) shut down a lot of students’ options for going to school,” Hanson, a second-year studying wildlife technology, said. “They’re just (going to) go into the work field instead, which is terrible, because education is what we need in this world and not money.”

Trevor Hansen, another second-year studying wildlife technology, said he feels angry over the university’s decision to close the campus.

“I think if Bendapudi really thought it was a great deal to do it, she should have come here, walked around and talked to all the students themselves and all the faculty,” Hansen said.

Beyond the classroom, students say the closures will disrupt key parts of campus life. At Mont Alto, sports have been a major draw for students and a source of connection.

Ashlyn Vandenbree said her younger teammates on the Mont Alto volleyball team will have to scramble to figure out how to finish their degree.

“In terms of team sports, many recruits that have committed are now changing their minds and committing elsewhere, as we can not guarantee them a full four years to play,” Vandenbree, a third-year studying project and supply chain management, said. “This impacts the success of every individual team at Mont Alto and the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference, which might go away since half of the campuses are gone.”

Seated in Mercer County, Penn State Shenango is the smallest Commonwealth campus in terms of enrollment. It was created to expand higher education options in the area.

After a “nightmare” first year of college in Miami, Will Perry, his brother and their two friends transferred to Penn State Shenango.

“We already have so much more support up here,” Perry, a third-year studying business, said. “It’s just sad we can’t get it from the people who make decisions.”

Perry, his brother and their friends spoke about their freshman year experience with their old coach, who knew the baseball coach in Shenango. They then spoke with the Shenango coach, liked what they heard, came up to visit and found a place to move in.

“I wanted a fresh start, as did everyone in my house, and that’s what we got at Shenango,” Perry said. “So it’ll definitely be a place I’ll never forget.”

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ST. CLOUD — St. Cloud State’s Herb Brooks National Hockey Center got a big break this week.

After more than six years of asking for state funding to get a new refrigeration system for the arena’s two ice rinks, the state Legislature passed an estimated $12.8 million in funding late Monday, June 9, for a replacement. The original and outdated R-22 system was originally installed when the building opened in 1989.

Contributed / Dan Wolgamott

“We’ll take it,” SCSU Athletic Director Holly Schreiner told St. Cloud LIVE. “It’s been a long process to get here.”

The R-22 system that the Brooks Center uses has been getting phased out in the U.S. for the last 18 years because it contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer. The Herb Brooks National Hockey Center uses between 11,000-12,000 pounds of R-22 that helps cool the cement floors of two Olympic-sized sheets of ice through a direct refrigeration system.

State Sen. Dan Wolgamott, DFL-St. Cloud, told St. Cloud LIVE how relieved he was to get the legislation passed.

“I’ve been a part of this for three years, and I’ve really been pushing this,” Wolgamott said on Tuesday, June 10. “We had reached a crisis point with the old system. The R-22 system currently in place uses chemicals that were banned in the Clean Air Act of 2007. It’s ridiculous that it’s taken this long. If that system had gone out, it would have affected three college hockey teams, but so many youth and high school players as well.

“The Herb is a local staple for hockey players and fans. I’m so grateful to say that a new system is coming.”

Refrigeration is a key for any ice rink.

Rink manager Cory Portner said in November 2023

that he was struggling to find pieces, parts and components needed to keep the old R-22 system functioning.

“(Our system) has been phased, no longer manufactures components that use our (system). So, we’re at the mercy of the market,” Portner said.

“Our refrigeration mechanics have been keeping this thing kind of going for well beyond its lifespan, in my opinion,” he continued. Portner said that 20 or 25 years is a good lifespan, and that “Thirty (years), you should be doing happy dances, so we’re rolling on 30-plus years.”

The university made a similar request with a price tag of $8.5 million in 2019, and the project would also include getting new boards, Plexiglas, lighting and improved humidity control. As a part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, St. Cloud State makes its capital requests through the system to the Minnesota state Legislature.

The construction plan would include turning the Brooks Center’s practice rink into an NHL-sized rink, which is 200 feet long by 85 feet wide. Both ice sheets at the Brooks Center are currently Olympic-sized, which is 200-by-100. The project would also include making the main rink more of a hybrid, making it about 97 feet wide.

While the

St. Cloud State

men’s and women’s hockey teams are the top tenants for the Brooks Center, there are many regular users for the facility.

St. John’s University

, an NCAA Division III team, also practices and plays its home games there.

The St. Cloud Youth Hockey Association rents more than 600 hours of ice time at the Brooks Center annually. The arena also plays host to 10 camps during the offseason, which keeps the facility in use year-round.

Schreiner was admittedly surprised when she heard the news of the bill passing earlier this week.

Contributed / St. Cloud State University

“I can’t tell you how excited I am about this,” Schreiner said. “We’ve worked for years to get it across the finish line. It’s just taken so long. I felt like we might get let down again. This is good for the university and the hockey community in St. Cloud. I’m grateful to Dan, (St. Cloud State director of university relations) Bernie Omann and every politician that worked on this together.”

Schreiner said work on the project won’t begin until next spring, at the earliest. Schreiner was already setting up meetings for this week to get the project moving, but a lot of paperwork needs to happen first.

“There are different aspects to any replacement, renovation or construction project in the state university system,” Schreiner said. “First, we have to see the official amount we’re getting and see what we can and can’t do within that budget. We have to start with the Request for Proposal process, and that takes time. We’ll do the research, select a bid and order the product.

Andy Rennecke / St. Cloud LIVE

“The best-case scenario is that we could get it replaced after next hockey season. It might be delayed until April 2027 if things get slowed up. The fact that this is happening in mid-June instead of at the end of June is a big win for us. At least we’re starting the conversations about how to begin.”

Wolgamott credited “a good bipartisan negotiation” for getting the bill passed.

“St. Cloud State hockey is such an important part of our community for so many reasons,” Wolgamott said. “It’s part of who we are in St. Cloud. The National Hockey Center and that system has seen the wear and tear (since 1989). The NCHC had gone to the university asking them to do something about this. It’s not safe for so many reasons. This is our job as state legislators.”

Asked if he’s concerned about St. Cloud State’s infrastructure as a whole, Wolgamott acknowledged it’s reaching “a crisis point.” He’s making it one of his top priorities to help St. Cloud State get back on track financially, while also acknowledging that the state owns the buildings on campus and that many of them fall into disrepair.

“The health and well-being of SCSU directly affects the St. Cloud community. I feel like we have momentum to get St. Cloud State back on its feet,” Wolgamot said. “The MnSCU system is asking for $25 million in one-time money for demolition of old buildings, including at SCSU. We weren’t able to get that in the budget this year.

“To me, demolition is not a negative thing. It’s all about right-sizing these campuses. The college experience has changed. We don’t need these huge buildings and footprints in the 21st century. At SCSU, demolition means opening up green space and cutting down costs with the maintenance of these dorms and buildings. SCSU is at the top of the list for that in the near future.”

St. Cloud LIVE sports reporter Mick Hatten contributed to this report.

Abi Semanko / SCSU Athletics