NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, January 25. TODAY has truly been a busy day in college swimming. Within hours of news that Ohio University plans on cutting men's swimming, Tulane University announced that it will begin phasing in eight sports originally cut in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina according to Associated Press reports out of New Orleans.
The phase-in will bring back eight sport throughout a three-year period starting in 2008. During the first phase, women's tennis and golf, along with men's cross country and outdoor track will resume competition for Tulane. The second phase will occur in 2009 and will reinstate women's swimming and diving and men's tennis. The final stage in 2010 will return women's soccer and women's bowling in place of men's golf.
"It's another important step," Tulane University Athletics Director Rick Dickson said. "It's a significant step in terms of meeting, and even exceeding, the time frame for the Tulane athletics rebuilding plan, and part of the overall renewal plan the university had set forth in December '05."
The rebuilding plan will return Tulane to full NCAA compliance after the NCAA gave Tulane a five-year waiver of the 16-sport minimum rule after the university dropped to eight sports after Katrina.
Welcome back, Tulane!