William & Mary athletic director Samantha Huge is reportedly resigning from her position in the wake of protests that have emerged after the school cut seven programs after this upcoming season. The school announced at the beginning of September that it was cutting men’s and women’s swimming & diving, men’s and women’s gymnastics, men’s indoor and outdoor track & field, and women’s volleyball after the 2020-21 school year.
Jeremy Martin is stepping in as interim Athletic Director in the wake of Huge’s resignation.
The news comes after Huge admitted to plagiarizing passages verbatim in the announcement from Stanford’s announcement of cutting 11 programs. 118 student-athletes and 13 coaches had been affected by William & Mary’s decision and the school was estimating it would save $3.66 million.
William & Mary men’s swimming has won six straight conference titles in the Colonial Athletic Association, 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.
A petition was started to save William & Mary Swimming & Diving and many alums have spoken out on their disappointment over the decision.
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About time….