Albany State University announced May 27 that it will discontinue its women’s soccer program and add men’s and women’s indoor track and field starting in the 2026-2027 academic year, pending approval from the University System of Georgia.
Albany State University’s athletics department is facing a hard reset.
In a statement released on May 27. the school said it will discontinue the women’s soccer program and will add men’s and women’s indoor track and field beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year. The changes will not take effect immediately; they are pending approval from the University System of Georgia.
Dr. Robert Scott, Albany State’s president, framed the move as a shift in institutional strategy. He said the decision reflects “our commitment to aligning resources in a way that best supports the long-term success of our student-athletes and the continued growth of Albany State University.” Scott added that while “these decisions are never easy. ” they are “necessary to ensure we are positioned to compete and thrive in an evolving collegiate athletics landscape.”.
Dr. Kristene Kelly. the school’s Director of Athletics. echoed the difficult nature of the announcement while stressing the department’s focus during the transition. “This was a difficult but necessary decision as we continue to align our programs and move the department forward. ” Kelly said. She made it clear that the priority is immediate support for Albany State’s women’s soccer student-athletes. while also building “a stronger foundation for sustained success.”.
In the statement, Albany State said the women’s soccer program is being discontinued due to several challenges. Those challenges include scheduling issues. conference affiliation concerns. and what the school described as “long-term sustainability.” The same statement also explained the logic behind adding indoor track and field. Albany State said the move is meant to increase athletic participation and to operate in cohesion with the university’s outdoor track and field team.
For student-athletes, the message was that transition support would come first. Albany State Athletics said it is committed to supporting student-athletes academically, athletically, and personally throughout the shift. It added that individual meetings and resources will be provided so each student-athlete has “the information and support needed moving forward.”.
Albany State athletics women’s soccer indoor track and field University System of Georgia Dr. Robert Scott Dr. Kristene Kelly