Nick Brunelli – On the Record about Arizona State Cuts

Lisa did a very bad job of trying to see past the bottom line of today's budget. Understanding what the fallout will be in cutting these programs will be immense. The media from wrestling and the large swimming community online is already wreaking havoc, and it won't stop for a long time to come. Lisa said it was going to save $1 million a year to have these programs cut. They have a budget of more than $40 million this year, so now it is $41 million?

If the teams knew this before being cut, donations to keep the sports alive would come flying in! Just in the next few weeks how much money that comes out to save all three of these programs is going to be amazing! It's going to be a sad, sad day when these programs get reinstated and Lisa Love realizes that it was a huge mistake to cut them without notice. All recruits from this year (the third best in the nation) will be gone because of Lisa's choice to cut without notice. ASU swimming will have to start from the bottom again. Thanks, Lisa, for this one! Thanks for the chance. Thanks for giving men's swimming a chance to save their own lives and keep our best recruiting class ever!

I tried to put my feelings into words this morning while I was warming up for practice. If men's swimming isn't reinstated, this is what I will feel like:

All swimmers and past alums from men's swimming bleed Maroon and Gold. We have passion and drive from this. It's what makes many of us get up in the morning. Every day, we think about ASU and thank it for what it has given us. And, without notice, that same blood that makes us so happy poisoned us with no reason or notice. Now, for the rest of our lives, we will be scarred with the burns of our own blood – Maroon and Gold. It hurts and will never be forgotten.