The Cost Of Cutting Swimming Programs

The Cost Of Cutting Swimming Programs

Emma Hruby, swimmer at Northwestern University, talks about the impact of colleges and universities -- such as North Dakota and Buffalo -- cutting their swimming and diving programs and the impact it has on the swimming community.

May 20, 2017 by Emma Hruby Hruby
The Cost Of Cutting Swimming Programs
The University of North Dakota announced in late March that it would be cutting three sports: women's hockey and both men's and women's swimming and diving. According to ​USA Today$1.3 million must be cut from the UND athletics department in order to keep up with ongoing budget cuts throughout the university that are a trickle down effect from the state's grim financial future. According to the ​Grand Forks Herald, the cutting of the programs adds up to about $3 million, with about $900,000 coming from the swimming and diving programs.

Less than a week later, the University at Buffalo announced that it would be cutting its men's swimming and diving program. According to an FAQ page released by UB, there were five factors considered when deciding which of the 20 programs would be cut: ​program costs, facilities, Title IX, geographic location, ​and ​a ​comparison of programs​ at other Mid-American Conference schools.

When athletic departments decide to make cuts, swimming and diving programs are often some of the first to go. They're expensive, and they don't generate very much revenue. But they also have the potential to be a vital asset to a school.

There are areas in which college swim teams can generate revenue. When it comes to club-, high school-, and national-level meets, there is often an entrance fee ranging anywhere from $5 to $20. At college dual meets, there is no fee to get in -- a missed opportunity for programs to make some money to help offset swim team costs. Parents are used to paying to get into meets, and charging them to get into their child's college meet is not going to turn them away. They'll pay the charge and move happily to their seats, as they've done many times before.

Cutting programs is not an uncommon occurrence. In 2012, Clemson cut both men's and women's swimming as well as men's diving. This was a two-year phase-out process that allowed swimmers the option to transfer to other programs or opt to stay within the program and continue to receive aid even after the program was cut. The decision was made not due to budget concerns but rather Clemson's decision to not build a 50-meter competition pool and a fear of being unable to compete within the conference at a high level due to this decision.

However, Clemson's decision not to build a 50-meter pool came with little to no explanation, and it's questionable considering the new $55 million football facility it opted to build. Once completed, it will be home to a players' lounge that boasts pool and ping pong tables, video games and televisions at every angle, a virtual reality room and golf simulator, barber shop, personal laundry, a nap room, and an aquarium, among other amenities.  

While budget cuts can be necessary, schools should put much more consideration into the opportunities available to offset some of the costs and generate revenue off of the programs that don't generate very much revenue in the first place. If it does not end up being enough to counteract the losses, then it would become acceptable to seriously consider cutting swim teams and eventually cut the programs if no other alternative is found.

Until then, the cutting of swimming and diving programs is baseless, and programs that go through such processes should be ashamed for effectively killing the aspirations of their athletes.
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