East Carolina University Cuts Men’s & Women’s Swimming and Diving

Photo Courtesy: East Carolina Athletics

East Carolina University announced on Thursday it would cut four athletic programs as part of the school’s budget restructuring efforts from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Both men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and men’s and women’s tennis were the sports affected by the budget cuts, affecting 68 student athletes and nine coaches across the four programs.

According to WFMY News in Greensboro, North Carolina, the university will honor all scholarships of affected student-athletes who want to continue studying at East Carolina University and will complete their degree in four years. Under NCAA transfer rules, students are immediately eligible for competition when the students’ original institution discontinues the sport in which the student practiced or competed.

“Today’s decision came after a deliberate review and in-depth analysis of the athletics department’s budgets and programs,” said Interim Chancellor Ron Mitchelson. “The current athletics budget was not sustainable pre-COVID-19 and the university was working closely with athletics to decrease the annual deficit over the next year. With the pandemic, the deficit began to grow significantly where the impact was immediate and will affect future revenue and expenses for years to come. Ultimately, the reduction of sports aligns ECU with our American Athletic Conference peers and provides a roadmap to a more sustainable future for the University and athletics.

In swimming circles, East Carolina University qualified one swimmer each to the NCAA men’s and women’s swimming and diving championships, with freshman Kristen Stege making the women’s meet in the 1650 and senior Gustavo Santos making the men’s meet in the 100 butterfly.

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Jonathan Ballard

3 years ago

To bad for this program! Not fair!

Denise Bailey

3 years ago

So sad

Amy Omainsky Deegan

3 years ago

That’s awful

Ginger Curlee

3 years ago

???

Tatyana Kashinskaya

3 years ago

So sad!

Rhonda Bridy

3 years ago

Awful so sad

Sara Carroll

3 years ago

sucks!!!!!

Laura M Wanco

3 years ago

Why? Sad

Carlo Cordon

3 years ago

Disappointing…

Stacy Hannan Palmer

3 years ago

Wow

Carlos Lomba

3 years ago

Anita Rivera Maribel Torres Soto
Se acuerdan cuando fuimos a ECU para las pruebas de fisiología antes de los CCCAN?

Anita Rivera

3 years ago

Reply to Carlos Lomba

Carlos Lomba sii, para convencer a algunos de que en Sadce hacíamos más y mejor!

Randi Schoener-mcdonnell

3 years ago

Kelly-Anne McDonnell ?

Kelly-Anne McDonnell

3 years ago

Reply to Randi Schoener-mcdonnell

Randi Schoener-mcdonnell So sad but they had to make some cuts or raise tuition and fees , stinks for those kids and for the school as a whole as they now lose prospective good students , such a bummer !

Randi Schoener-mcdonnell

3 years ago

Reply to Randi Schoener-mcdonnell

Kelly-Anne McDonnell I know. Sad.

Tori Trees Smith

3 years ago

Very sad:( Their team is in the same conference as my daughter’s. The men won and the women finished forth. Very spirited team! I’m sorry to hear this.

Holden Bank

3 years ago

Reply to Tori Trees Smith

Noooooooo !

Stephanie Adams

3 years ago

Nooooo

Tracy Cameron Hepner

3 years ago

So sad for this program. Hope this isnt effecting any scholarships.

Jennifer Stewart

3 years ago

Reply to Tracy Cameron Hepner

Tracy Cameron Hepner from the article:
“the university will honor all scholarships of affected student-athletes who want to continue studying at East Carolina University and will complete their degree in four years.”

Thomas G Trapp

3 years ago

Sadly there’s probably more to come

Monica L.Barry

3 years ago

Catharine Robinson Christopherson

3 years ago

So devastating!

Brian Pearson

3 years ago

The dominos will start falling I’m afraid. Uggg

Carol Harper

3 years ago

Terrible news!

Eric Parr Johnson

3 years ago

so sad

Kim Anderson

3 years ago

I’m sorry Ginger! Such sad times!

Stacey Preston

3 years ago

Devastating! Stop cutting swim programs!

Leslie Scott

3 years ago

Probably the only sport that can definitely save your life: not good

Joel Gitlin

3 years ago

Very sad, I hope this isn’t a trend?‍♂️☹️

Tom Christensen

3 years ago

Reply to Joel Gitlin

Joel Gitlin I’m with you.

Colleen Tessler

3 years ago

HORRIBLE! Been to this school. They have an awesome D1 swim team.

Donna Pearce Price

3 years ago

Boo

Ja Bounce

3 years ago

DAMN!!! Too bad they can’t let the Team Members / Coaching Staff Fund-raise themselves to keep this going!!

John McCormack

3 years ago

Hey but keep spending big bucks on the major programs (big new fball coach contract last year) can’t wait to see them in the “Who Gives a Flying F…. Bowl” and playing before hundreds in the sleet and rain in Memphis or Mobile…

Emily Ferguson Tsantes

3 years ago

so incredibly sad.

Rod Schaffer

3 years ago

Very sad

Dwight Thomas Davis

3 years ago

That suxs

Lauren Tureskis

3 years ago

This is so sad!!!!!!

Dennis Connolly

3 years ago

Very disappointing! Great program.

Scott Holstein

3 years ago

Terrible news.

W Bruce Murray

3 years ago

Very sad to see. Swam against them in college many years ago

Jim Griffin

3 years ago

Sad, that terrible decision

Wendy Batson McCreery

3 years ago

Absolutely horrible decision

Sabrina Lumm Grader

3 years ago

Oh NO!

Lisa Romanoff

3 years ago

Wait! What? Didn’t they just sign Coleman?!

Andy Gallion

3 years ago

I know other money factors were involved, but there are a lot of non P5 schools that are going to lose swimming programs. And if there is no Fall football and no network money, all sports become club sports overnight.

Anonymous

3 years ago

so sad for those kids that have dedicated their whole life to swimming in hope for a scholarship. I pray it is not just the beginning 🙁

Jenny Dillon Primm

3 years ago

I thought about Coleman when I read this. Some other team will be lucky to get him! Hate when colleges cut swimming!

Jenn Shidler Lewis

3 years ago

Mark Zelenz