Despite being one of the smallest liberal arts colleges in the country, William Jewell College has long been a well-regarded institution in the Kansas City area. This reputation is due not only to its high academic standards but also to its athletic prowess: nearly two-thirds of Jewell’s students participate in sports, making athletics a central part of student life and recruitment. 

However, the 2025-2026 academic year began under unusual circumstances. After years of financial difficulties, Jewell declared financial exigency during the 2024-2025 academic year, a rare and serious measure that reflects the severity of the challenges facing the institution. Although the administration emphasized that the situation remained manageable, the announcement plunged the university community into a state of heightened uncertainty.

For student-athletes, the impact is particularly pronounced. As the school was reevaluating financial priorities, the possibility of reshaping athletics and cutting specific programs seemed very real. As a result, the student athlete experience now oscillates between relative stability on the field and constant questions off it.

Jewell student athletes have always had to deal with busy schedules and high expectations, but in the spring semester of 2025, these pressures intensified. The athletic medical staff made a controversial proposal to increase student secondary insurance fees (special insurance for athletes designed to cover the remaining medical expenses related to sports injuries) by an additional $350 for student athletes. Although this fee was intended to protect players’ health and ensure they had medical coverage, it was perceived by many student athletes as an additional financial burden, particularly when combined with rising tuition fees and a temporary freeze on scholarships. In other words, no athlete will see their scholarship increased for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Compounding this unease, a wave of athletes transferred out of Jewell during the last semester. For those who remained, one question lingers at every practice and every game: What will athletics at Jewell look like next semester? Softball, for example, has faced one of the most visible challenges. The team’s head coach resigned at the end of last semester, leaving players in a precarious situation as the season approaches. However, the administration took an unusual and refreshing step: it directly involved the players in the interview process for hiring a new coach. Indeed, the players will have a say on the final hiring decision. This level of athlete involvement is rare at the university level and marks a significant shift toward greater student participation in program decisions.

Although the declaration of financial exigency cast a shadow over the athletic department, it also reignited crucial debates about transparency, resource allocation, and the future of sports at Jewell. The story of Jewell softball highlights the vulnerability of sports at small universities, where limited resources make athletic programs particularly sensitive to personnel changes and enrollment fluctuations. However, Jewell’s willingness to involve players in decision-making could also pave the way for new models of resilience.

For now, the semester seems too short to judge whether athletics at Jewell will emerge stronger or even more fragile. But what is clear is that the student-athlete experience at William Jewell is being reshaped, in real time, by the financial crossroads at which the university finds itself.

Fall has officially begun with its beautiful colors and perfect temperatures. What better way to enjoy the outdoors than fun, friendly and competitive sports? 

There are a lot of great opportunities on the William Jewell College campus and in the surrounding community for people to watch and play games. Football, volleyball, cross-country, soccer and golf are in full swing competing for Jewell’s Cardinals.

While most sports will be on the road this weekend, women’s soccer will be at home Friday, Oct. 1 and Sunday, Oct. 3. Additionally, softball and baseball will have scrimmages throughout the fall season to watch, providing another opportunity for the community to support and enjoy Jewell’s athletics. 

Students and the community can play all types of games outside on the Jewell campus as well. By the baseball field, there is a nine-hole frisbee golf course, which is completely free to play and has some nice scenery too. 

Additionally, the Mabee Center is open on the weekends for students to play pickup basketball. Another fun activity is playing Ultimate Frisbee on the open practice fields by the fraternities. You’ll need at least 8 people to play, so get your friends together and enjoy the brisk weather! 

For those looking to find the thrill of competition and don’t play an organized sport on campus, keep an eye out for intramural games that have been brought back in full swing thanks to seniors Issac Stormes and Mitchell Elsnes. So far, Volleyball, Kickball, and Tug of War competitions have happened, with plenty more throughout the semester sure to come. 

Missouri weather is sure to show itself in extremes, but staying active in our community will create a sense of warmth that will last through the winter.

William Jewell College’s Softball team is off to a slow start, but they still remain optimistic about the future. The Cardinals faced tough competition the past two weekends at the Lewis Dome Invitational and Drury Invitational Tournaments. 

After three losses the first weekend, Jewell battled back against Wisconsin Parkside for a 6-5 win. The Cardinals were down early in the Parkside game, but senior Allison Rawls helped the team make a comeback. Rawls – who is dedicating her senior season to her dad who recently lost his battle with cancer – hit the first grand slam of her collegiate career, putting the Cardinals in a position to win the game. The following weekend at Drury ended 0-4, leaving the Cardinals with an overall record of 1-7. 

There are many factors that affected the team’s record. Because COVID-19 limited their season, this was their first time seeing live at-bats and playing together as a team. COVID-19 has also impacted how personal the team is with each other since the team cannot gather as a group outside of practices and many of the players are first-years still getting used to the team and level of competition. 

“Normally we are super close by the time the season rolls around because we’re able to do a lot of activities both inside and outside of softball,” said Rawls. 

Despite a losing record, the team remains optimistic about the rest of the season. 

“I’m super excited for the rest of the season even though we’ve had a rough start,” Payton Totzke, sophomore said. “I’ve already seen so much progress and improvement of the team these past few games. We’re keeping our heads up and staying together knowing we will get better for the next few weeks!” 

Team unity remains an important factor for the team. 

 “For us, it’s important to stick together and have each other’s backs as we continue throughout our season. As a whole, we are very optimistic about how our season will go and look forward to getting better for our upcoming conference games,” Makenzie Stahl, first-year nursing major, said.

Win or lose, these women are excited to have the opportunity to play the sport they love. 

“I am so grateful that I’m able to finish my softball career this year. When our season got canceled last year I was devastated and worried about what this year would hold,” senior elementary education major Tori Farr said. “I’m taking advantage of every opportunity because now more than ever, I see how easily the game can be taken away from you.” 

The Cardinals begin conference play this weekend with a double-header at UCM March 7 and another at Drury March 12.

Looking for something to do on campus this week? Here are some of the events that are hosted by and for the Jewell community:

On Tuesday, Feb. 23, the women’s basketball team will be going up against Drury University at 6 p.m. This away game, as well as other away games, can be viewed on the William Jewell College athletics page. 

On Wednesday, Feb. 24, Gender Issues and Feminism (GIF) is hosting a discussion about Black feminism in room 112 of the PLC at 10:30 a.m. The discussion will center around a video about Black feminism in celebration of Black History Month. 

On Thursday, Feb. 25, in room 221/222 of the Yates-Gill Union, Black Student Alliance (BSA) is hosting their annual Jewell Kitchen event to honor local Black foods and Black culinary influences. Tickets for this event will be sold during Jewell Time in the Union until the day of the event, or until all tickets are sold.

On Friday, Feb. 26, GIF is hosting a Menstrual Product Drive in the Union. Students can donate menstrual products to GIF for their “Take One, Leave One” campaign. This campaign allows the club to offer free menstrual products to the Jewell community in various bathroom locations across campus. 

At 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., the softball team will be going up against the University of Nebraska at Kearney and Northwest Missouri State University, respectively. At 5 p.m., the women’s soccer team will be going up against Drury University, and the men’s soccer team will also go up against Drury at 7:30 p.m.

On Saturday, Feb. 27, the softball team will be going up against Upper Iowa University at 11 a.m. The women’s basketball team will face off against Rockhurst University at 1 p.m. At the same time, the women’s and men’s tennis teams will be going up against Missouri Valley College. At 3 p.m., the men’s basketball team will play Rockhurst University. At the same time, the softball team will be going up against Midwestern State University Texas and the women’s volleyball team will be going up against the University of Southern Indiana. At 6 p.m., the women’s volleyball team will be facing off against Maryville University. 

On Sunday, Feb. 28, the women’s soccer team will play against Missouri S&T at 12 p.m. The men’s soccer team will play against Missouri S&T at 2:30 p.m.