Arizona State Cuts 3 Sports
Last month, Arizona State University discontinued three sports—wrestling, men's tennis, and men's swimming—because of budget cuts, saving the school $1 million, according to the State Press, the university's student newspaper. About 70 students will be affected, and six full-time coaching positions will be cut.
Not all was lost, though: The teams were given the opportunity to return if they could raise enough money on their own to fully endow themselves. The wrestling team met its $8 million endowment in a week (bake sales and car washes?) and was reinstated indefinitely. The other two teams—along with the cheer team, which was combined with the marching band spirit squad in early May—continue to campaign for more cash, keeping Facebook and the Internet aflutter with requests for support.
Students who received athletic scholarships will continue to receive aid— which is little consolation to those who came to the school with near-singular purpose. "They came to swim," said an ASU swimming coach. "Really, staying isn't an option if there's no men's swim team."
Tags: sports | Arizona State University | college athletics
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ASU Swimming
May 13,2008, while the head coach Chasson was being informed of the cut of the Men's Swimming program at ASU, athletes were notified by email that their program would be cut. Ther was no notice, no warning, no time to raise funds given by the AD Lisa Love. Currently there is an effort to raise funds through www.saveASUswimming.com to build an endowment fund,and or provide for three years of operating costs to allow for time to raise the 5 million.
The swimming community is shocked that an Olympic sport would be cut from this Pac-10 school with such a rich history of producing world and Olympic Champions. Over 7,500 students have joined the facebook group. The team has raised a significant amount of money but not anywhere close to the 5 million the ASU Administration said they need to survive.
I am a coach and a mom with three youn men in college. One almost went to ASU to swim but chose another school. Thank God for him. My middle son who is on a crew team at Sonoma State said to me last week, "If I didn't have a sport to be involved in, I don't think I would be as interested in school and academics. When I work out, am a contibuting member of a team , and fill my time with focused activity, I do better in school. There is not time to do stupid things like other kids who drink and party themselves stupid. I am on a team to feel good about me."
Young men need sports. Swimmers work so very hard to get to the D-1 level in swimming. It breaks my heart to see men denied they opportunity to participate in their chosen path.
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