Hartwick Women’s Water Polo: Coaches Continue to Speak Out (And the Hawks Keep Winning)

Photo Courtesy: Hartwick Athletics

Editor’s Note: On Wednesday, February 28, Hartwick President Margaret Drugovich and the school’s Board of Trustees announced they were eliminating Division I athletics. Men’s soccer would be downgraded to Division III—and join the small upstate New York’s college’s 15 other DIII programs.

Women’s water polo, which has existed since 2001, would be terminated at season’s end. This is one in a series of posts that address the decision-making behind this action by President Drugovich—and the water polo’s community’s response.

In case anyone thinks this is just about water polo, check out Swimming World’s coverage of Eastern Michigan’s decision to cut men’s swimming.

Hartwick women’s water polo keeps winning; the Hawks (19-4, 1-0 CWPA)—winners of three-straight and 18 of their last 20—have done their part in the pool while fighting their administration’s decision to cut the program.

Luckily, their plight has not gone unheeded; coaches from all over the country continue to weigh in regarding this issue; more than 10,000 supporters have now added their names to a Change.org petition.

Bill Cohn, Assistant Coach, San Diego State University Women’s Water Polo

It’s always saddening when programs getting cut. The first group I feel for are the student athletes and their coaches. Their parents and friends feel it too. All the high school prospects now have one fewer school to consider as a college choice. The rest of us in the business hate to see the axe fall, because we understand that it could just as easily been us.

Over the past decade we’ve lost programs at Maryland, Colorado State, CS Bakersfield, CS San Bernardino, in addition to Hartwick. The reasons tend to be around budget and/or facilities. Win/loss records rarely are as big a consideration in the public justification. Those like Maryland, that are from Power 5 conferences, can usually afford to fund the Title IX sports through their share of TV revenue from their conference. Some are more easily understood than others. There have been programs added in the past 5 years, but I’m not sure if there is net growth or not.

Of the 128 schools playing D1 FBS football, only 28 make a profit. Most of those are in the power 5 conferences who share bowl and TV network revenue to the tune of $20 to $25 million per year. They are required to field 16 sports in order to play football.

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Non-football playing schools like Hartwick are exempt from this requirement. There are lots of mid major and non-football schools dropping non-revenue sports to reduce their budgets. (e.g. Buffalo dropped baseball, men’s swim and dive, and women’s rowing in 2017, saving $2 million). Non-football schools in D1 have to field 14 sports. Any school over the limit could potentially decide to drop sports—and non-revenue sports tend to be targeted first.

Women’s NCAA water polo in the United States is one of the strongest leagues in the world. At the [Barbara Kalbus tournament, there were over 60 players from outside the US on the rosters of the 16 schools. Those players come to get an education to be sure, but they also come because they get to play with and against the highest caliber competition. With various National Team members on multiple college rosters today, the sport is strong from a competitive point of view. I would say that the recent cuts are troubling trend though.

I don’t have an easy solution here. Athletic directors make decisions related to budgets, Title IX, donors, and other factors particular to their institution. Most schools have donors who give primarily to football and men’s basketball, which are usually the flagship programs which generate revenue and prestige for the university.

Megan Husak, Head Coach, St. Francis Brooklyn Women’s Water Polo

I was shocked to hear that had happened and even more so shocked to hear how it happened. I heard that a [representative from the administration] walked on deck and read a letter. I can’t believe the cowardice of [that situation]—to not even have the administration talking to them.

At least let the coaches know before you announce to the whole team.

StFrancisBrooklynTerriers

It’s such a shame; there’s so few women’s water polo programs in the country, then to shut down one that’s phenomenal… and on top of that they’re having a great season. I really hope they make it to the NCAAs just to prove a point.

I swam and played water polo for St. Francis, and this is my tenth year on the coaching side. I can’t imagine going to another school to coach. I feel so much love for St. Francis that I can’t imagine having to up and change schools midway through my career.

I feel so bad for those girls who committed to play for Hartwick and to have that opportunity taken away.

Brian Kelly, Head Coach, Iona Men’s and Women’s Water Polo

Alan and Ashley [Hartwick coaches] are friends of mine. I’ve known Alan for a long time—I’ve played against him. Actually, he came and visited me in Chicago and his teammates were my teammates.

I wish them nothing but the best of luck.

Iona

I know that this has happened before [in 2009] and they were able to rally and fundraise and keep that program going.

You have the facility—you have a pool—I’d rather see them downsized than be eliminated. There’s ways to downsize a program and still run it effectively.

I’d like to think that Iona would be a good model for that. We have a lot less funding than some of our competition, especially in the MAAC. But we’re able to be competitive. Perhaps that’s something Hartwick could look into.

I would hope they’d at least give that a shot. They’re one of the storied program on the East Coast. Aside from Michigan, Princeton and Indiana, I’m not sure how many teams [from the East] have made it to NCAAs that are in existence right now.

The bottom line is, and what you can’t forget whether it’s Hartwick or Iona or VMI—you’re getting people to go to your school from different areas of the country or world that probably normally wouldn’t. You’re expanding your brand and I think that eliminating the program will hurt Hartwick in the long run—a program that’s had a lot of amazing international talent.

You have people going to Oneonta, New York that probably never heard of Hartwick College before.

Tamara Perea, Head Coach, Siena Women’s Water Polo

I remember when Colorado State cut women’s water polo and added women’s soccer and men’s golf. Unfortunately, athletic departments are looking to do that because women’s water polo is usually added to counterbalance men’s basketball or football.

I’m seeing a trend that they can’t use [water polo] to balance Title IX anymore—so why keep it? That mindset is, when you do put in all that support, all that funding, then you decide that it’s no longer important, what did they do it all for?

Cutting Hartwick is not good for our sport—especially in the East. Alan has done a good job of developing that program. Cutting the program is not a reflection of their performance; it’s a budgetary and enrollment reality for that school.

Chris Radmonovich, Head Coach, Wagner Men’s and Women’s Water Polo

Hartwick’s been really good for a long time. They’re always one of the most competitive teams on the East Coast. We’ve had a ton of battles with them over the last three – four years, and they’re a fun team to watch play.

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It’s very disappointing to see them go. I think Alan does a great job bringing in a different type of talent from all over the world. [His program] provides diversity to that school.

I hope that they find a way to do something.

Chris Vidale, Head Coach, Marist Women’s Water Polo

It’s sad for those kids, it’s sad for Hartwick. But, for the sport of water polo its terrible. We’re still a grass roots sport and to lose a Division I program is something that our sport doesn’t need.

He has a lot of international athletes, so they’re already away from home and they’re sacrificing a lot for their education and the sport of water polo. They have to figure out financially where they’re going to be put.

You have freshmen who don’t know where they’re going and you have juniors who are in the middle of their major thinking: “I only have a year and a half left. What am I supposed to do?”

It feels like a death in the family.

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