"State appropriations are the primary source of funding for two year colleges, and when these amounts are reduced during the year, it does create difficulties and it creates difficulties across the board, for all aspects of the college operation, so yes it is troublesome and it is different and we certainly sympathize with the administration on each college campus," says Al Cox, commissioner of the Alabama Community College Conference.

The ACCC issued reduction recommendations for each of their 21 institutions that hosts intercollegiate athletics, which includes a reduction in scheduled games like scrimmages and pre season games, eliminating or reducing overnight trips to save travel expense, and reviewing event admission fees to maximize revenue.

Lawson State administrators say these measures help, but they have no plan to cut out athletics altogether.

"Athletics is a recruitment tool- students come and when a student athlete comes, he may bring two or three other students who are not necessarily athletes.  We have to maintain that enrollment level because with state funding cuts, the tuition and fees are our only major sources of revenue now," says Sharon Crews, the school's V.P. of Administrative Services.

Lawson State has reduced their team travel by 30 percent in the past two years.

On the other side of the spectrum- bigger schools like UAB have actually added athletic programs.  Beginning next year the school will have sand volleyball and bowling.