Sports referees have a tough job to do, often having to make split-second decisions that can have huge consequences.

Fortunately, every sports decision does not have to be made so quickly. Ohio University Southern did not have to make a rash call on whether or not to continue to offer its five club sports. We applaud the university for making the tough decision to put the sports programs on hiatus for a year to determine whether or not the costs outweigh the benefits for the student body.

OUS spent between $75,000 and $100,000 last year to offer five sports — men’s basketball, women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, golf and tennis. While we support athletic and recreational opportunities for the campus’ more than 2,000 students, we think it is the right move to put the programs on hold until a comprehensive study can be done to make sure this is the best way to spend the students’ dollars.

Right now, it doesn’t make much sense for OUS to offer these for a variety of reasons including the lack of an on-campus gymnasium, inability to get a lot of students interested and the financial costs of running programs that are being underutilized.

Now, the ball is literally in the students’ court. They need to let the school administration know how they feel and how they would like to see the university spend this money.

Is it sports? Is it recreation offerings? Is it academic programs? The students must let their opinion be heard.

Allowing the students to have a key voice in determining the future of the programs is a great move and should help everyone come to a consensus on the direction to go.

We don’t feel the university is trying to take anything from the students, in fact, we believe the motivation is actually to offer the most students the most opportunities.

Life is full of tough calls. Some take quick reactions, some allow for slow, methodical study.

Taking time now is the right call to make sure the future lives up to everyone’s hopes and dreams.