There is a huge uproar and a number of petitions regarding the Dartmouth cuts. Several of the sports cut are largely self-funded - meaning they have pegged endowments and/or significant alumni support. The average GPA of those athletes is high and many of the athletes were admitted on their own, without a “recruiting spot.” In addition, those are typically not the kids that get in trouble or cause problems on campus.
I feel for the athletes that chose Dartmouth because of their sport, particularly the incoming freshmen as they may have chosen a different school had Dartmouth made the announcement earlier.