I just heard that two more universities, Rutgers and James Madison, are ditching men's swimming while spending zillions on football and golf. My own alma mater almost cut women's swimming several years ago. They were saved by alumni fundraising, but not until the swim team put itself up for sale on ebay. Endurance sports get no respect. It makes no sense. I thought open water swimming and triathlons and road racing were on the rise even among young kids. If so, why cut all those sports in college? I guess it's still just a miniscule percentage that participate compared to other sports, like my least favorite youth sport -- travel soccer.
Peggy, at the University of Illinois and at Illinois State where my son goes, the pool facilities are owned and run by the campus recreation departments. The swim teams have to rent for this department. So if the swim team is discontinued, it just means the rec department rents it out to some one else, or sells more lap swim and swim lesson time to others. So when they discontinue the program, the school does not blink twice.
Peggy, at the University of Illinois and at Illinois State where my son goes, the pool facilities are owned and run by the campus recreation departments. The swim teams have to rent for this department. So if the swim team is discontinued, it just means the rec department rents it out to some one else, or sells more lap swim and swim lesson time to others. So when they discontinue the program, the school does not blink twice.
