COVID-19 Destruction: The Devastating Effects of Coronavirus on Swim and Dive Programs

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COVID-19 Destruction: The Devastating Effects of Coronavirus on Swim and Dive Programs

COVID-19 has had many devastating effects in the swimming world, one of which is the cuts to swim and dive programs across the U.S. collegiate system. So far, 11 programs have been cut, with one program, William and Mary, cut and then reinstated. A lot of these cuts come from a reduction in financial resources due to COVID. Even though these colleges might be struggling, their targeting of smaller sports like rowing, golf and tennis, to name a few, cut along with swim programs, demonstrate the collegiate favoritism of so-called ‘powerhouse’ sports like football and basketball. In speaking with various swim and dive teams, their morales are the same: They will not give up fighting.

A lot of colleges are providing various reasons for these team cuts, a large majority of which relate to Title IX. According to the NCAA website, “Title IX requires that women and men be provided equitable opportunities to participate in sports.” Title IX is often the reason given to programs, like the University of Connecticut and La Salle University, who lost their men’s teams, but not their women’s team. These colleges claim they need to make cuts and to comply with Title IX regulations, they choose to cut the men’s swimming and diving teams, rather than merely reducing spots on larger sports.

When you look at the numbers, you can see that, generally, by cutting men’s swim programs, colleges do not save that much money. Swimming and diving teams are one team, sharing a coaching staff, facilities, practice times and competing at the same meets. We are all one family. By cutting just men’s teams, the costs of all of these things still exist, maybe to a slightly lower amount, but they still exist.

These colleges appear to see fit to cut a relatively small team in favour of saving spots on larger teams, like football and basketball. Take, for example, Michigan State, which cut both teams this year. Looking at statistics from 2019, it had 117 men on the football team, with 15 total coaches. In comparison, swimming had a total of 63 athletes across both genders. By cutting swim, MSU saves $2 million, which sounds like a lot, but compared to their annual athletic costs of $116 million, this comes out at roughly 2%.

Ignoring the costs of these programs, and how little money they save comparatively, one of the hardest parts about swallowing this proverbial pill is the destruction of these communities. MSU has one of the longest-running alumni meets, which is now gone. All of these programs had their communities, their own families. In the words of East Carolina University former head coach Matthew Jabs: “I don’t think you can just overcome a loss of something that is such a big part of your life. An entire athletic family was destroyed. I feel like we were just thrown away, and that’s hard to take.”

Photo Courtesy: Dartmouth Athletics

Talking to athletes and coaches from these programs, they want to have their voices heard. Dartmouth College, a Division I program, had its program cut in early July 2020. Athletes have been fighting long and hard to get the program reinstated. Dartmouth has failed to provide a solid reason for the program cut. According to a release from College President Phillip Hanlon, “In consultation with the Dartmouth Athletic Advisory Board, (Dartmouth) reluctantly concluded that the best path forward is to reduce the number of varsity teams rather than spread recruiting and budgetary reductions across all teams.” Even though the student-athletes managed to raise enough money to cover the costs of their program, the college administration would still not allow the reinstatement of the program. Athletes on both the swim/dive and golf teams were told: “Dartmouth offers club sports in both golf and swimming and interested former varsity athletes are welcome to join.” Hugh McKenzie, a member of the men’s varsity team, said this statement felt “kind of insulting,” as “it discredits a lot of the training and years and hours they put into the sport that earned them their spot” on a varsity team.

The sad stories don’t end there. ECU’s former head coach Matthew Jabs, a former athlete at ECU and coach for the last 20 years, three in the head role, fulfilled his lifelong dream of taking over the program and improving its performance. In an email correspondence, he told me how heartbreaking it was for him to receive the news. “It’s really hard to tell your two sons who have grown up completely engrossed with a program and athletic department that it’s over… personally, I still haven’t recovered, (and I’m) not sure I ever will.”

The administrations did not treat these programs with respect when they delivered the news. ECU was told in “a 10-minute video call with all the athletes of (the swim) program and the tennis programs at the same time. The AD quickly said teams were cut, then turned it over to the compliance director who offered some information about the transfer process, and that was it.” Dartmouth also received very little notice about the meeting, and the notification was quick. These programs, and many others like them, deserved to be notified of their cut with respect. Instead, they weren’t often given time to ask questions and voice their concerns.

The effects of these cuts do not end with the swimmers directly impacted. The cuts of these programs affect the wider community. In the words of University of Connecticut head coach Chris Maiello, who had his men’s team cut: “It doesn’t impact the current men. It impacts the men in Connecticut State. The local swimming committee, all the young boys who are swimming, they don’t have a state institution. The flagship institution of Connecticut doesn’t support men’s swimming anymore, so I think it hurts them.” And this extends beyond just Connecticut. These cuts show swimmers across the country that no matter how hard they work, their programs will never be as valuable as programs like football or basketball.

Another argument given to programs was lack of academic performance, which demonstrates precisely how political collegiate sport is. Many of these programs argue that academic performance should not even be in question, as they often outperform other sports that have managed to not be in danger of being cut. Referring to the graphic provided by the NCAA research department, swimming, golf and tennis often perform better in the classroom than sports like football and basketball, which fall toward the bottom of the athletic GPA statistics. Although this may not have been the sole reason for cutting these teams, using this as an excuse makes very little sense.

However, there is one success story in all this. William and Mary had its program cut and managed to overturn the decision, getting its women reinstated indefinitely, and the men reinstated until 2022. Head coach Nate Kellogg voiced the emotions of the team perfectly, comparing the cuts and resurrection of the teams to a car accident, where one person walks away unscathed, and another is injured. The uninjured person (the women’s team) is both happy they’re alive and feels terrible for their friend (the men’s team). In the words of a senior athlete on the women’s team, Tara Tiernan, the reinstatement of the men’s team felt “like they don’t want to fully own up to the mistake that they made.” As an athlete myself, at a Division III program, I can also imagine William and Mary will have a more challenging time recruiting male athletes as well, as these athletes will know they may not have a program when they graduate.

These program cuts are devastating for these athletes, as well as the greater swimming community. And even though they are fighting hard to revive their program, and prove their worth to their respective athletics departments, they have yet to have much success. If you can, please take the time to review the links below. Sign the petitions, and if you can, donate money to help save these programs.

Links to websites to attempt to save these programs:

https://www.savelasalleswimminganddiving.com/

http://saveecuswimdive.org/

https://www.savehawkeyesports.com/

https://savedartmouthswimdive.org/

www.battleforspartanswimanddive.com

Petitions:

https://www.change.org/p/university-of-massachusetts-dartmouth-save-umass-dartmouth-swim-and-dive

https://www.change.org/p/the-university-of-iowa-save-hawkeye-sports

And if you can spare a few dollars, I plead you give them to these links.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVpOOI4syt2iAvg-8xZLi5gYQsZ-ni_UMEfes9rlhhEruQ6g/viewform?fbzx=-6283860003566216633 (Boise State fundraising)

Also, here are some Instagram tags you can follow to show your support:

@Saveecuswimdive
@Save_dartmouthswimdive
@Savetribeswimming
@Savehawkeyesport
@battleforspartanswimanddive

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Andy Gallion

3 years ago

A good start would be to reduce football scholarships to 65 equivalents and reduce coaching staff numbers. This would also help with parity – it’s really Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and whatever the #2 SEC team is that year vying for the title. I realizing in many places, football revenue through ticket sales, alumni donations, and network contracts pays the bills. It just feels like a college sports program that does having swimming and diving is incomplete.

Susan Marburger Shannon

3 years ago

Reply to Andy Gallion

Andy Gallion you’re on the right track except that football programs in the Power 5 conferences typically make money that helps pay the bills. The vast majority of the rest of the college football teams LOSE money- a lot of it.

Elizabeth Townsend Davenport

3 years ago

Sad to see my former team be cut! Sad day for MSU Spartan swimming!!!!

Kathryn Newberry

3 years ago

At this point, we’re just trying to stay in the water.

Jenny Leahy Reilly

3 years ago

#battleforspartanswimanddive

Diana Terry Bolding

3 years ago

It is all about greed from football programs

Susan Marburger Shannon

3 years ago

“By cutting just men’s teams, the costs of all of these things still exist, maybe to a slightly lower amount, but they still exist” -Not only this but consider the tuition money they are losing by cutting the sport. Many of those student athletes will be taking their money to another school rather than give up the opportunity to swim for their college team. It is a very short-sighted decision.

Diana Terry Bolding

3 years ago

Ja Bounce

3 years ago

Without more Testing of the science, & proper Transparency of those findings seems like a hip-shot reaction. https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/study-zero-incidents-of-covid-19-infections-at-indoor-pools-updated-stats/?fbclid=IwAR2Ot1XyabnNFSGDMSxDq19k1HwxCFdHkOQTkajcSkNwfSviLo_nPunNaXs #moreCurrentTestingOnPools

Val Acosta Mehta

3 years ago

It’s surprising to me today to see the very different worlds that exist in swim right now. Here in SC there are meets going on, pools open. Our old club/school in PA is dark as are all pools there. Going to take time to recover from this.