Tokyo Olympian Patrick Callan announced on Instagram his plans to use his fifth year of eligibility at the University of Michigan next season.
“Big news‼️
So excited to announce that I will be returning to Michigan for my 5th and final year of NCAA eligibility while pursuing a master’s degree in sport management. I know this season isn’t over yet, but I couldn’t wait to share! Grateful to have the opportunity to represent the greatest University in the world for one final ride. 💙”
Callan recently helped the Wolverines to a third place finish at the 2022 Men’s Big Ten Championships. There he finished sixth in the 200 and 500 freestyles.
He will be swimming at Men’s NCAAs from March 23-26 and is entered as the 11th seed in the 500 freestyle, 20th seed in the 200 freestyle, and the 59th seed in the 100 freestyle.
Callan made the US Olympic Team this past summer after finishing 6th in the 200 freestyle at Wave II Olympic Trials. He competed in the 4×200 freestyle as he swam the third leg of the prelims relay. That relay was fifth heading into finals.
Athletes were allowed an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 during the 2020-2021 season. Many athletes took this extra year this season, but the number is expected to fall over the next few years. Another B1G star swimmer that has already announced his plan to take the extra year next season is NCAA Champion Max McHugh.
The biggest difference between this season’s fifth years and future season’s is the scholarship cap. Men’s swimming is allowed only 9.9 total scholarships per team. This season, 5th year seniors didn’t count toward that cap unless they transfered. In future seasons, 5th year seniors will count against the cap, until the waiver expires. This means that Callan’s scholarship next season will count towards the 9.9.
This shift in policy for future seasons means that we will likely see fewer swimmers taking advantage of the opportunity.
Callan is a key part of Michigan’s roster as he is one of only five men that qualified for the NCAA Championships in individual events. He also was Michigan’s sixth-highest scorer at the 2022 B1G Championships.
Callan is currently a senior studying Business Administration at Michigan’s Ross School of Business. In his announcement, he plans to earn his Master’s Degree in Sport Management which is offered through the school’s School of Kinesiology.
