As of 8:10am this morning one of the finer programs in the country is lost due to "budgetary" problems.
No one saw it coming and they just recently signed some top level recruits that gave them one of the top 3 recruiting classes in the country.
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Former Member
Chris Woo ('76 Olympics *** stroker w/ a gold medal on 4x100 medley relay) lives here in Honolulu. He swam at UCLA when that program was cut. He said just a few years ago, some UCLA alums from his time way back when offered to fund a rejuvinated men's swimming program at UCLA. The university said "no."
Unless there is more to this offer - I bet the funding was not a long-term commitment. I can't find it but I thought I read somewhere that a Div 1 swim team might cost about $1M per year depending on the facilities costs. A university probably wouldn't consider an endowment or donation unless it was backed by a long-term contract - say ten years or more.
The problem with donations is that the donors with big bucks aren't swimming fans. They want their name on the entrance to the football field or the weight room, not the natatorium.
Chris Woo ('76 Olympics *** stroker w/ a gold medal on 4x100 medley relay) lives here in Honolulu. He swam at UCLA when that program was cut. He said just a few years ago, some UCLA alums from his time way back when offered to fund a rejuvinated men's swimming program at UCLA. The university said "no."
Unless there is more to this offer - I bet the funding was not a long-term commitment. I can't find it but I thought I read somewhere that a Div 1 swim team might cost about $1M per year depending on the facilities costs. A university probably wouldn't consider an endowment or donation unless it was backed by a long-term contract - say ten years or more.
The problem with donations is that the donors with big bucks aren't swimming fans. They want their name on the entrance to the football field or the weight room, not the natatorium.
