A change.org petition has been started to save the athletic teams cut at the College of William & Mary, including men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s Gymnastics; men’s indoor and outdoor track & field; and women’s volleyball. The petition has already amassed over 10,000 signatures as the decision to cut the sports came on Thursday afternoon.
The university pledged to honor all current athletic scholarships of those affected through their scheduled graduation at William & Mary, according to the release. Those wishing to transfer will have the full support of the university.
Impacted coaches will be able to complete their current appointments.
118 student-athletes and 13 coaches have been affected by the decision as the school is estimating it will save $3.66 million.
Photo Courtesy: William and Mary Athletics
William & Mary men’s swimming has won six straight conference titles in the CAA, as this past season culminated with Colin Wright making the NCAA Championships in the 50, 100 & 200 freestyle, becoming the first William & Mary swimmer since 1963 to make the meet. On the women’s side, the Tribe finished second at this year’s CAA Championships as they last won the title in 2017.
This marks the sixth Division I school to lose its swimming and diving team this off-season, joining the likes of East Carolina, Connecticut, Boise State, Dartmouth and Iowa in getting their swim team cut to ease the financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
William & Mary is coached by Nate Kellogg who had spent three years as an assistant with Matt Crispino before returning as head coach in the 2019 season. He helped coach Wright to a spot at the NCAAs this season as the sprinter was seeded fourth in the 50 free and eighth in the 100 free, and was seeded to put William & Mary in the top 25.
William & Mary men have not lost a CAA team title since 2014 as the program has really made a turn for the better at the start of the decade. Wright became the first male swimmer or diver since 1986 to make the NCAA meet and the Tribe have had eight swimmers qualify at the last two Olympic Trials including Katie Radloff, Andrew Strait, Sidney Glass, Will Manion, Hailey Hewitt, Annie & Jaimie Miller and Jeremiah O’Donnell.
Katie Radloff was also the last women’s swimmer to make the NCAA meet for the Tribe, making the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle all four years of her career from 2007 – 2010.
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