The Iowa State women’s soccer team, the Cyclone’s new kid on the athletic block, has been trusting the university for a year and a half to come through with a promise — funding for their team.

“It’s a big financial commitment,” said Cathy Klein, head coach of the women’s soccer team.

Besides paying for the initial costs of equipment and uniforms, the university has promised 11 scholarships to the team. As of now, these scholarships are still up in the air.

“We will decide those later,” Klein said.

Two hundred thousand dollars was set aside for the soccer team — which is a non-revenue sport — every year, and apparently was kept for them until this fall, despite last spring’s sport-canceling scare. Five sports were in danger of being dropped due to lack of funds. The soccer money was used to help out with the endangered sports, but left plenty to get the program off the ground.

“We had allocated $200,000 to support the soccer program and we couldn’t go back on a promise,” said Laurie Gustafson of the athletic business office.

Increasing enrollment is “always a possibility when bringing in a new program,” Gustafson said.

Norm Boyles, ISU’s faculty representative to the NCAA, was pleased that soccer was to be implemented in women’s athletics for two reasons.

“Soccer is being played in Iowa high schools; this will increase the amount of high school women who will want to play here,” Boyles said.

He said women’s soccer was a good decision because it was a team in which several people could get involved.

With 25 positions available on the team, Boyles said, “A considerable number are allowed to participate.”

The long wait for women’s soccer is over. Now that practices are underway and they have one scrimmage under their belt, the team has their chance to show how well they can deal with commitment.