Albright College is discontinuing its swim program, according to a letter sent out by the institution.
“As part of the work Albright College is doing to align revenue with expenses, the college has made the very difficult decision to discontinue the swim program,” Athletic Director Janice Luck wrote in a letter to alumni that was obtained by Swimming World.
Albright College is an NCAA Division III school in Reading, Pennsylvania, and part of the Middle Atlantic Conference.
John Stuhltrager was the head coach the past five years and was assisted by Alaina Ricci and Rachel Nye.
The team finished 11th at the MAC Championships in February in both the men’s and women’s conference meet.
The full letter reads:
Dear Swimming Alumni,
Recently, you received communication from Albright College about the challenges in higher education, and more specifically, about how Albright is managing those challenges. And yesterday, in a message from Board Chair Ron Scheese ’83, you learned about a reduction in our workforce, made to ensure the long-term stability of the college.
As part of the work Albright College is doing to align revenue with expenses, the college has made the very difficult decision to discontinue the swim program. I know this news hits all of you very hard. So many of you have played an integral part in the foundation and history of Albright Swimming. Those memories and accomplishments will continue to be a part of Albright history, our celebrations, and your legacy forever.
Please be assured that this decision was not made lightly and the college is doing all it can to assist the swim coaches who will be leaving Albright. Their departure weighs heavy on all of us and will be felt for some time.
Thank you for your understanding and for your continued support of Albright Athletics.
Sincerely,
Janice Luck
Director of Athletics
Head Women’s Basketball Coach
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Why not any other sports? If you want to save money cut the football team too. Cut the basketball teams too. Just an excuse to get rid of swimming. What a joke
As a person who worked for the college, no. It really isn’t. Swimming was very expensive for them and did not drive any much needed revenue. Football and basketball were both a third the cost per student and both do drive some revenue, if for no other reason than they’re popular sports to play and will pull kids to the college. And you don’t get sports scholarships in D3 sports, so the tuition is a bonus. This was actually one of the smarter decisions they’ve made in recent months and reflects reality. They have a lot of work to do and I really hope they do it. It’s a special place. I am sorry I had to leave my job there.
Did you look at their 23-24 roster? Two men and three women.