Unfortunately, Olympic sports seem to be on the way out as Football and Basketball programs have become the all-important sports for colleges. Gone are the days of offering athletics for students. Now it's all about big revenue sports making money and publicity for the school.
I wish the NFL and NBA had to have their own farm leagues (like baseball) instead of getting a free ride off of the NCAA.
Very unfortunate (and that is coming from a former Gamecock!) and not good for the sport. If this can happen a major ACC school it could happen at any school.
BTW, I just so happen to be in Clemson right now swimming in the Tiger Masters Meet. The pool is like a time capsule (locker room below deck, old style 25 yard pool). I'll take some pics tomorrow at the meet before I leave, I think its pretty unique.
For curiousity, I wonder what percentage of NCAA Division I schools have a 50m pool. The AD cited the primary reason for dropping swimming is because they can't compete if they don't have a 50m pool. I have a feeling the AD was just grasping for straws and came up with that reason because he was too much of a coward to admit the real reason.
For curiousity, I wonder what percentage of NCAA Division I pools have a 50m pool. The AD cited the primary reason for dropping swimming is because they can't compete if they don't have a 50m pool. I have a feeling the AD was just grasping for straws and came up with that reason because he was too much of a coward to admit the real reason.
Yeah, because NCAA champs are totally competed in Long course pools! :) Wow, that is the best that the AD could come up with.
Former Member
I teach at Clemson, and have had some swimmers in my classes. It's definitely a shame that the swimming program is being phased out. But it's also absolutely true that the pool is substandard. They totally renovated the gym complex 5 years ago, but left the pool pretty much untouched.
Former Member
Where I swam, University of S. Carolina, may be the only school in the state with a 50M pool. We only had a 5M platform for diving as well. I don't believe their is a 7.5 or 10M diving platform facility in the State. Our diving team used to have to travel up to Duke University to train platform (which my buddy on the diving team ended up being All-American in).
Looks like a pretty decent facility. I wouldn't mind swimming there; it's nicer than some of the pools I've competed in this year. It doesn't make sense to me that the pool is the reason the program is getting the axe.
Our diving team used to have to travel up to Duke University to train platform (which my buddy on the diving team ended up being All-American in).
One strange thing about the story is that the women's diving team will continue. Anybody know the story there?