Michigan State could be close to reinstating its men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams, according to the Battle for Spartan Swim and Dive advocacy group that has fought for their return since the 2020 cuts.
MSU is now officially working with the Battle for Spartan Swim and Dive group to collect donations to help cover operating expenses for both teams. In less than three weeks, they are already “pulling within reach” of their goal: $6.5 million over five years.
“As we continue to connect with those donors, we are confident that our next public release will be announcing the return of the Michigan State men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams,” the Battle group said in a statement on Friday.
Last December, interim MSU president Teresa Woodruff told remaining Spartan swimmers that reinstatement was a reasonable expectation if the Battle group assisted with funding. The university reached a settlement the next month with 11 former swimmers that stopped short of guaranteeing the return of MSU swimming, but it did provide several Title IX protections for the future.
The university can no longer pad its women’s athlete total with novice rowers, and it won’t be allowed to drop a women’s team through 2030. Additionally, if the gap between male and female athletes exceeds 28 in favor of male athletes for two consecutive years, or is higher than 16 athletes for one year, MSU must immediately add a women’s team or implement a roster management process across men’s and women’s teams.
The university’s appeal to the Supreme Court was rejected in December. A week later, a board trustee said MSU officials “do not see a viable path to establish a swim and dive program.” That surprising announcement came after court rulings last August determined MSU violated Title IX by cutting the Spartans’ swim and dive program at the end of the 2020-21 season. Last July, Battle for Spartan Swim and Dive drafted a budget proposal claiming to have secured about $10 million in prospective donations for the program’s reinstatement.
The past couple years have been a rollercoaster for supporters of MSU’s swim and dive programs — not the fun kind — but this wild ride seems to finally be reaching its finish line.
This is a cruel April Fools joke
Did the trustees request exploration of cutting number of highly paid administrators? [/irony] Seems this is the simple method.
What about bringing back coach G?
Get a coach than can actually achieve a non-last place finish
Can you apply the money MSU lost to figght title 9 the lawers feesd alone they lost should be pledged to the swim programss
It’s never coming back without a new pool. They don’t have the facilities to support a d1 power conference swim team, and there’s no indication that the university is willing to provide funding to make improve them
TCU swims out of a 6-lane pool just as does MSU and they have qualified swimmers for NCAAs
A new 50m indoor pool as part of a new Health and Wellness Center is awaiting final approval.
So wait is this actually happening. Why is this not getting more traction
Because it’s been “awaiting final approval” (aka was planned and then cut from the plan) for like 6 years.
Sparty alumni can’t tell the difference between what’s actually happening and what they want to be happening. Optimism is one heck of a drug.
ah, so still nothing. What a sad state for such a “successful” football program and large university to not be able to have an olympic program. Think of the damage they could be doing in Michigan right now, they could find a foothold as the premier team with a solid staff and complex.
How can swimmers ever trust MSU’s Administration again?
Bring back Richard Bader and the glory days of Spartan swimming!!!!
What glory days? Didn’t MSU suck? If they want to be successful they need a new pool and a coach that can turn around a program
MSU has won like 1 conference title in the last 40 years. Regardless of what G had to deal with for facilitates NW had been only slightly better. Not to mention they were always boat raced at Big 10s. Given UofMs swim history it’s not 100% fair, but I checked and there’s maybe 2-3 events (50’s included) where MSU even has a swimmer who would makes Michigan’s top 10 times in ANY event.
Huge for the program
Michigan state suffered for the last 30 years having the worst facility in Division 1. You could not recruit top talent to the ancient IM west pool built in the early 1950s every other big ten school built a new facility which MSU is badly in need of. the IM is a disgrace for a school like MSU. Little D 3 schools have way better facilities. They need to build a new facility anyway and after that the costs of the program is very low. It also gives you approx 30 women athletics. It is a sport where we can top talent out of Michigan High Schools. We have a womens field hockey and crew team which have almost no… Read more »