Six sports teams are currently on the chopping block at the University of North Dakota, and swimming is one of those facing the cut.
With input from a committee, University President Mark Kennedy will be making a decision about which sports will be cut at the end of this year and which will survive as the university. Programs up for possible elimination include swimming and diving, women’s golf, women’s and men’s tennis, women’s soccer and softball.
Interim President Ed Schafer made the initial recommendation to cut athletic programs last spring in order to reduce expenditure. The school cut baseball and men’s golf at the end of the 2015-2016 school year, but men’s golf was reinstated after donors stepped in. Now, the verdict will come on other sports.
Football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s hockey and track and field are all considered safe.
The coaches of each of the teams in jeopardy met Tuesday with Kennedy and the committee and gave 30-minute public presentations. Head swimming coach Chris Maiello was among those who got teary-eyed while fighting for the survival of his team and his job. Student athletes were allowed to present only when the coaches from their specific sport were speaking.
Kennedy told WDAZ News in North Dakota he allowed the coaches to state their cases for keeping their respective programs in public. However, committee member Lowell Schweigert (brother of UND football coach Bubba Schwiegert) stood up during the public proceedings to announce that he believing that the matter should instead be settled in private.
Swimming World learned that a former coach of the UND swimming and diving program, a prominent team alum and a CSCAA executive met privately with Kennedy prior to the forum. They asked that their names remained anonymous. Kennedy will have the final say on the teams’ fates, and a decision is expected by the end of the month.
Swimming World, USA Swimming and the College Swim Coaches Association has fought to save college swimming programs over the years. USA Swimming gave the CSCAA a three-year, $125,000 grant to save college swimming. Economic impact studies have been generated by the CSCAA to show that there are strong financial reasons within the community and alumni that impacts the University in ways that the University does not always see. Swimming World has been assured that such a study was presented to the University of North Dakota, the committee and its president that show strong financial reasons to keep the swimming and diving program at the University of North Dakota.
20 trillion spent on war, eight years of war with seven different countries ? our schools are crumbling, our universities are lacking, and the homeless population has become enormous. The wealthiest country in the world, sadness ?
Notice the irony in how the football coach’s brother wants this done in secret. If things need to be done, man up(or woman up) and tell everyone why. What is he afraid of?
We lost our program at Chico State in 1991 under suspicious circumstances after having competed against the UND guys at NCAA D2s for years. Great guys, great team. We are praying for you guys. There’s a way to do this right and hopefully the U president can figure it out. Good luck!
Paul Schneider yikes!
Doug McGrath
fingers crossed