EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University (MSU) will no longer sponsor men’s and women’s swimming and diving as varsity sports following the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, according to a statement released by university officials.
They say that the decision does not end their commitment to the student-athletes and staff within the swimming and diving programs. Scholarship commitments will be honored beyond this year for any student-athletes who choose to finish their undergraduate degree at Michigan State. Student-athletes who wishing to transfer to another institution will be assisted by Michigan State Athletics with their transition.
Contracts for all coaches will be honored (through June 30, 2021).
For the duration of the student-athletes' time at Michigan State, the athletic department will offer counseling and mental health services for those who would find them of assistance.
The decision, they say, was a financial one, although not entirely tied to the pandemic. The team was already competing in a smaller than regulation pool, and the recent closure of the outdoor pool at IM West left athletes without a regulation size pool in which to train as well.
In a statement on the university’s website they said the pool setup limited coaches' ability to attract talented student-athletes and hampered student-athletes ability to maximize their potential. They say those factors in addition to the financial strain of the pandemic all led to our the decision to cut the program.
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