Colgate Cancels Men’s Swim Meets for Fall Semester over Hazing

The Colgate University men’s swimming & diving team has been suspended from all competition for the fall semester and its winter training trip for what the school is calling “conduct violations.” Specifically, the school says the team violated university policies related to “hazing and high-risk alcohol consumption.” All members of the men’s swimming & diving team will also undergo an education program on the topic of hazing and high-risk alcohol consumption.

“We regret the need to make this decision but also want to communicate clearly and unequivocally that hazing and high-risk drinking have no place in Colgate’s Division I athletics program or at Colgate University,” said Colgate Vice President and Director of Athletics Dr. Nicki Moore “In order to create a healthy and safe community of competitive excellence, we must ensure that our teams foster cultures that are free of such behaviors, which also run counter to the university’s values.”

The investigation, carried out by the Department of Athletics and the Dean of the College Office, concluded that the team engaged in hazing activity that included “high-risk alcohol consumption.”

The team competed in its last meet, the Justin Jennings Memorila Invitational, last weekend. The meets cancelled for the men’s team includes dual meets against Loyola, Saint Bonaventure, Binghamton, and Niagara, followed by scheduled trips to the Terrier Invitational at Boston University and USA Swimming’s Winter Nationals.

The team was then scheduled to take a 12-day training trip to Florida running from the end of December and into the new year.

Now, instead, the men’s team will resume competition on January 11th at the Buffalo Diving Invite, with swimmers’ next races scheduled for a dual with Boston University on January 12th.

No impacts on the women’s team’s schedule were announced.

This is the latest in a growing list of hazing incidents striking NCAA swimming teams, and specifically ones resulting in major team-wide suspensions:

The Colgate men finished 7th out of 10 teams at last year’s Patriot League Championships.

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Sweet Louie
5 years ago

I find it quite interesting that Colgate’s new AD chose to impose a pretty harsh penalty on the entire team including the Freshmen who were hazed. How was that decided? Seems absurd. Will a future victim of hazing ever choose to speak up now knowing the precedent set. Easy for Colgate to arrive at this decision though because they are well aware that hazing exists well beyond the “non-revenue generating” and non -scholarship men’s swim and dive team and they can basically now silence anyone who would dare to speak up about hazing and excessive alcohol on other teams or organizations. Make sure you now sweep it all under the rug especially with the revenue generating sports so the school… Read more »

Louis Müller
5 years ago

When a decision like this is made, which punishes the entire team, Colgate University is therefore punishing victims of hazing. Colgate is only deterring and dissuading victims from speaking out against hazing and other forms of violence by levying this punishment. Nothing is more dangerous than punishing victims and sending an obvious message that if someone is hazed, he/she should NOT speak out because he/she will be punished as a result of the actions of the perpetrators. Not only is this decision irrational and illogical, it is downright disgraceful and sets a very very disturbing and dangerous precedent. This is a scary time to be alive.

AfterShock
5 years ago

Well, what’s done is done. You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube.

Swamererer
5 years ago

Seriously, at what point will these kids get it? And this continues to happen at very high ranking academic institutions so its not for lack of intelligence on the athlete’s behalf. Is it really that hard to know that hazing = suspension/termination of a program? This is nothing new, and this could spell disaster for a sport like swimming that is constantly being reviewed and on the chopping block at many schools. Schools won’t hesitate to drop non-revenue sports that perpetually cause headaches….so lets knock this garbage off. Show up, swim, and enjoy being a student-athlete.

RenéDescartes
5 years ago

Whomsts man is Steven Nolan?

Big Joe
5 years ago

This university has bigger issues at hand. While hazing is a serious problem, there is a rich tradition of hazing and a dangerous underground social life at this place. Be cautious and wary because Colgate turns a blind eye to these issues.

Larry
5 years ago

This is absolutely and utterly disgusting. Having the same punishment for those who were hazed as the the kids who hazed them is concerning. How are victims and perpetrators given the same degree of punishment? Does Colgate really want to be known as an institution which punishes its victims as severely as its perpetrators? This is simply illogical and irrational.

Chopsuey
5 years ago

Drinking and hazing are here to stay. If one gets caught in today’s world there are severe and sometimes untenable consequences. I would think community service more fitting.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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