In a decision that could help ensure the survival of college swimming, the NCAA Division I Council denied a request by five conference commissioners to temporarily waive the minimum number of sports required to be a Division I member.
The Associated Press reported that the NCAA announced Friday that the request made to waive numerous Division I requirements for up to four years would be considered in the coming weeks on a case-by-case basis only. The NCAA decided against a blanket waiver allowing schools to drop below the minimum 16 sports.
The coronavirus pandemic has put a financial burden on virtually all institutions and businesses around the world. Colleges are no different. Schools are preparing for budget cuts and more as the pandemic continues.
“Higher education is facing unique challenges, and the Division I leadership believes it’s appropriate to examine areas in which rules can be relaxed or amended to provide flexibility for schools and conferences,” Council chairwoman Grace Calhoun, the athletic director at Pennsylvania, told the AP. “We will prioritize student-athlete well-being and opportunities balanced with reducing costs associated with administering college sports, but a blanket waiver of sport sponsorship requirements is not in keeping with our values and will not be considered.”
That is good news for swimming, but by no means is the sport safe. The survival of the colleges financially will be the deciding factor.
“Higher education was already in a bad place before this happened. Each year 10-12 schools were closing because of enrollment and that is going to continue,” College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Executive Director Greg Earhart said.
Urbana University, an NCAA Division II school in Ohio, closed permanently a few days ago.
“If schools disappear, they are not coming back. Period,” Earhart said. “This is so much bigger than swimming or college sports. No other country in the world has a college sports ecosystem the way we do. When we are facing a 22 percent unemployment rate and in a global depression for the next two to 10 years, swimming doesn’t sit high on the priority list for people.”
Meanwhile, the council also delayed a decision on allowing all college athletes to be immediately eligible after transferring for the first time.
The waiver change could have gone into effect this year, but the council cited the uncertainty related to the COVID-19 outbreak for delaying a vote.
Good decision, but considering the state of the economy and pandemic I am not sure there will be a lot that anyone can do to save college sports. The entire college experience is about to change for everyone.
If college football does not play this Fall and there is no TV contract money, college sports are absolutely done. Loss of NCAAT money plus donations drying up because people are broke is already hurting. The NCAA could reduce football scholarships, but you know that won’t happen. And you know the palatial football locker rooms won’t vanish as well as huge staffs.
Maybe if colleges got their tuition prices under control, their enrollment numbers wouldn’t be dropping. The costs are crazy and kids are realizing that it’s just not worth the lifetime of debt.
Urbana university is a DII school, not a DI as stated in this article.
Thank you for the catch. That has been fixed in the story.
I hope colleges keep the pressure on and keep asking… this atmosphere could provide the right conditions for change
Wasn’t Urbana a D2 school?? Why are they falsely mentioned in this article?
Yes they are D2. That has been fixed in the story.
Victory! Thank goodness. This means more good athletes might get a chance to go to a great college! Swimming open the door for me.