Concordia University Irvine in Irvine, California has announced the elimination of four swimming programs, including its NCAA Division II men’s and women’s swimming & diving programs. The school also eliminated its men’s and women’s tennis programs, effective at the end of this season.
This reduces the school’s athletics department to 20 varsity programs (counting all track & field programs separately), and does not field a varsity football team.
“The decision follows a comprehensive evaluation of the university’s academic and athletic offerings, resource allocation, and long-term strategic priorities,” the school said in a statement. “University leadership, in partnership with the Department of Athletics, determined that the current model is not sustainable in the midst of increasing operational costs, facility limitations, and significant changes in the collegiate athletics landscape.”
Student athletes who choose to stay at Concordia will retain their scholarships.
Concordia head coach Bert Bergen informed the team of the news on Tuesday. His email read, in part:
“I am so terribly sorry about this news and am horrified by the timing. You put your faith in me, you chose this program to continue your athletic pursuits and I cannot imagine what you are feeling.I understand how terrible this timing is. I want each of you to know that I will be available for phone calls and will do everything I can with every available NCAA and NAIA institution in this country to find you a new home.I am sickened that you won’t get to be a part of this community, that I will not have the wonderful opportunity to coach, mentor and learn from you. You will always be very special to me and I know that God has a plan for your futures. Please do not be discouraged. Take time to process and then, let’s find solutions for each of you.”
According to Federal data, the swimming program had 23 men and 25 women to start the season, while the tennis program had 10 men and 10 women.
The school, which has undergraduate enrollment of 1,474, is a private Lutheran-affiliated school. The school was an NAIA school but completed its transition to become a full NCAA Division II member in summer 2017. Student-athletes make up almost a third of the school’s enrollment.
The swimming & diving teams finished 6th on the women’s side and 4th on the men’s side at the 2025 PCSC Championship meet.
The swimming & diving programs (and water polo programs) use the nearby William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center, which is about a 10 minute drive from the school’s main campus. That pool is part of the United States’ national hosting rotation and will host the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships, among many other meets.
The men’s tennis team, meanwhile, just won their first-ever NCAA West Regional and advanced to the NCAA tournament, where they lost 4-2. The women’s team finished 5th in the PacWest.
The swimming program joins Union Commonwealth University in Kentucky, and Cal Poly in California as programs lost this summer. That has been offset, though, by the addition of programs at D1 Marquette University and D2 Pitt-Johnston University in recent weeks.
For context, this university is part of a system, one that has been going downhill. Concordia Alabama (USCAA) closed in 2018, Concordia Portland (D2) closed in 2020, Concordia New York (D2) closed in 2021, and Concordia Ann Arbor (NAIA) is dropping their athletics department this year, while Concordia Texas (D3) is in a battle with the system over ownership. Other Concordia campuses include St. Paul (D2), Wisconsin (D3), Nebraska (NAIA), and Chicago (D3). In better news, D1 Pacific is adding men’s and women’s diving to go with their existing swimming programs.
Realistically, how could a student base of 1500 support any Varsity sports. My kid’s high school is bigger than that
Thanks Grant House!
Has nothing to do with House.