Cal Poly Swimmers & Divers Given Until June 4 To Hit New $20 Million Goal To Save Program

The Cal Poly swimming and diving program has been working since March to save the program after the university cut it primarily due to concerns around the state budget and the pending House vs. NCAA antitrust settlement. Following an April 18 meeting where students, parents, and alumni presented a business plan to keep the program alive, Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong has revised the initial benchmarks he gave the organizers.

Now, instead of the original $25 million mark, organizers need to raise $20 million by June 4 to reinstate the program.

“It’s a huge win for us, as of now, and we’re going to keep fighting,” swimmer Nick Elliott told SF Gate.

Cal Poly organizers were initially told they needed to raise $10 million by April 15 until the price tag was upped to $25 million. So far, the campaign has raised about $7.5 million, meaning they need to raise $12.5 million more in a month to meet the new goals set by the university.

Organizers have been active in their fundraising efforts from showing up at the Sacramento stop of the TYR Pro Swim Series and attracting support from many Olympic swimmers. In addition to accepting donations via a GoFundMe, pledges, endowments, and bequeathments, naming rights to the pool, diving boards, and starting blocks are still up for grabs.

It is unclear exactly how the university is determining the amount of money needed to reinstate the team. Indeed, the university declined to answer that question when asked by SF Gate. However, in an email shared with SwimSwam about the updated benchmarks, Armstrong said the university “must make decisions based on data,” emphasizing the uncertainty created by the California state budget process and the House vs. NCAA settlement. “I cannot, in good faith, continue the program without assurance that we will have ongoing permanent funds,” Armstrong wrote.

The university cited the settlement in its initial announcement cutting the swimming and diving program, claiming the school will “lose at least $450,000 per year for our programs,” due to changes from an approved settlement.

The settlement process got more uncertain about two weeks ago, when Judge Claudia Wilken ordered parties to adjust language about roster limits, even including a “grandfathering” in of the rule that has already seen teams and athletes cut as universities made changes in advanced of an approved settlement. Wilken’s order specified harm caused to athletes “who were on a roster but were removed from the roster in the last several months because of the premature implementation of the settlement agreement.”

Wilken was unmoved by the arguments about the chaos walking back these decisions would cause. She wrote “any disruption that may occur is a problem of Defendants’ and NCAA member schools’ own making.” As the parties have not reconvened since Wilken’s order—she gave them a deadline of two weeks—it is unclear how any revised language and its ensuing effects would affect Cal Poly swimmers and divers.

Still, as the historic settlement awaits either final approval or a trial date, Cal Poly swimmers have revised goals as they work to save their program themselves.

“I think this new goal gives us another boost that we really needed,” swimmer Alex Seybold told SF Gate. “Whatever time we need to put towards this, we will…it’s very moving to realize that everyone is willing to drop everything and work towards this goal.”

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James
16 days ago

I’m a CP alum who didn’t swim on the team. Swimming has consistently been the highest performing academic sports team within the University, and represents the best of Cal Poly in terms of “Student Athletics”.

Jason Lintjer
17 days ago

Exactly like Michigan State.

CP alumni
18 days ago

For 14 years, tom milich told donors to stay away from donating as the money goes straight to athletics. In April 2024, Yoshida is fired with Don citing “I don’t like the outcome of this situation” and hires the cheapest coaches he can find, adds two walk on guys a month into the season to even out rosters, and despite this the team succeeds.

The reason they’re citing for wanting so much in an endowment is they think that’s what the team needs to be successful, but they’ve done so much more with the bare minimum forever. Now don’t worry about who will run the endowment, as they’ll never accept that money if it’s raised. A school that has… Read more »

Besi
18 days ago

With 7.5 mil saved up they can probably just spin-off their own private swimming team off-campus and self-fund for a decade. That’s a ridiculous amount of money already.

Foreign Embassy
19 days ago

After re-reading this and earlier articles, the president said the school will lose $450k per year for their athletic programs, not just swimming.

It was also reported that the swim program costs $120k/year and alumni raise $85k/year to support swimming, or roughly costs $200k/year.

So this goal of $20m to ‘save the swim team’ means they want the swimming community to raise 100x the annual cost of the swim program to support the ENTIRE sports program for university. Or basically cover the $450k annual loss for next 44+ years.

So whomever said this is basically a ploy to support their football team, who went 3-8 in 2024, is likely the real goal of the administration.

Which is absolute horse 💩

Grant Drukker
Reply to  Foreign Embassy
19 days ago

200k seems incredibly low to cover busses, hotels, food, running meetings, not to mention salaries and benefits.

Last edited 19 days ago by Grant Drukker
Admin
Reply to  Foreign Embassy
19 days ago

Yeah it’s shocking to me. Like if they raised enough to pull more than their current budget in an endowment, call that ‘good enough for now’ and tell them they have 5 years to raise another $5 million to give the program a competitive budget, and tell every other athletics program they have to find a couple million in the next 5 years.

This is borderline criminal.

Pete Moore
Reply to  Foreign Embassy
19 days ago

Yes, this seems very dishonest, like the Dartmouth athletic director’s stated reasons for cutting Dartmouth’s swim teams 5 years ago. It’s really simple: The school could invest the $7.5M already raised in 30-year Treasury bonds at their current 4.84% annual yield and produce $363,000 annual income guaranteed for 30 years. That certainly covers the swimming budget, so the athletic director clearly is lying if he says they need to raise $20M to cover the swimming budget. What is the real reason he doesn’t want to have swim teams???

Admin
Reply to  Pete Moore
19 days ago

The only room I’ll leave for legitimacy is that at some schools, athletics owns the pool; at others, rec sports does. So we don’t know if that budget includes pool ‘rental’ time.

I’ll try and find out.

Swammer
Reply to  Braden Keith
18 days ago

Cal Poly athletics has its own pool. Rec sports has its own as well

NoFastTwitch
19 days ago

Pick an an outrageously high and unsubstantiated number, and then reduce it to an equally outrageous and unsubstantiated number so you can claim you tried to make it work. Should be embarrassing for the school administration but I’m guessing they simply have no shame.

CP Alumni
20 days ago

We should celebrate the progress here $7.5 million has been raised. President Armstrong has both lowered the amount and extended the deadline. We are still in the fight and have some momentum to build from. Ride high!

Meeeee
Reply to  CP Alumni
19 days ago

see above

YGBSM
20 days ago

It is unclear exactly how the university is determining the amount of money needed to reinstate the team. Indeed, the university declined to answer that question”

Translation? President Armstrong wants the program gone.

Save Cal Poly
Reply to  YGBSM
19 days ago

Correction, the AD wants the program gone

About Sophie Kaufman

Sophie Kaufman

Sophie grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, which means yes, she does root for the Bruins, but try not to hold that against her. At 9, she joined her local club team because her best friend convinced her it would be fun. Shoulder surgery ended her competitive swimming days long ago, …

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