The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) held their annual meeting in December, and chief executive Sam Seemes gave an opening speech that brought forth a harsh reality that resonates far beyond track & field
In a 911-word speech, a fitting metaphor for the state of emergency non-revenue sports are finding themselves in, Seemes called for massive change to the way coaches from the junior level through college present the sport. He started the speech by emphasizing that the issues sports are facing affect everyone beyond the NCAA Division I level.
He broke his speech up into four categories, threat, value, change, and exposure. He described each as deserving of our full attention “as together they tell the story of where we are, and more importantly, where we must go.”
Beginning with the threat level, Seemes said, “Let me be blunt: Our sports are under siege. Not in some distant future, but right now. The threats are real and immediate:
- Shrinking opportunities for student-athletes
- Vanishing budgets
- Disappearing scholarships
- Reduced coaching positions
- Complete program elimination
- Replacement by sports perceived as more valuable”.
While he is addressing a room of track coaches, his words represent a deeper threat. How many swimming programs have been cut in the last five years? How many more are going to be cut in the new world of revenue sharing? We are already seeing swimmers be affected by roster caps and transfer portals.
Seemes asks the audience “How did we get here?”. His answer? “Collective inaction.” He described issues across the NCAA, and then said “–-we’ve failed to position our sports for the future by resisting change at every opportunity.”
He begins his value section by telling the coaches that the metrics of value “have fundamentally shifted”. The values of personal growth and education, “once the cornerstone of collegiate athletics–” have been completely overtaken by financial gain, “revenue generation, TV ratings, and marketability.”
What he said next rings particularly true in swimming. “Nothing is guaranteed anymore. Our sport’s place in collegiate athletics is not a birthright…Yes, we produce exceptional graduation rates. But here’s the harsh reality–statistics make for good public relations, but behind closed doors, they’re not driving decisions”.
Swimming has one of the highest Division I graduation rates. In 2024, 97% of women’s swimmers and 94% of men’s swimmers graduated in six years. When comparing these numbers to ‘revenue-sports”, swimming comes out on top. Women’s basketball had a 93% graduation rate, Volleyball was 95%. Men’s basketball came in at 87% and football was 85%. What do these numbers mean in the long term? Are graduation rates equivalent to the millions of dollars brought in by these sports?
Seemes discusses what is actually driving decisions today:
- Media rights revenue
- Donor engagement
- Social media impressions
- Attendance figures
- Corporate sponsorship
He told the group, “Simply put, our sports do not measure up in these areas”.
The third section of Seemes’ speech was about change. “The path forward demands transformation. Not incremental adjustments, but fundamental change in how we conduct our sports. And let me be clear – change means changing. Not talking about change. Not planning to change. Actually changing NOW.”
He went on to talk about how people seemed uncomfortable, to which he said “We should be uncomfortable…While we’ve been conducting competitions in the same way for years, other sports have revolutionized their presentation to become more consumable products for institutions and the public…
If you’re waiting for your institution, conference, NCAA, USATF, USOPC, World Athletics, or Congress to fight this battle – stop waiting. They won’t save us. We must save ourselves.”
Swimming and track are similar in a lot of ways, and one of the most similar is the way we conduct meets. Multi-hour events, generally competed as a timed final, and are frequently seen as “boring” to people who are not deeply entrenched in the sport.
Seemes addressed the need for this to change in the final section of his speech, exposure. “The first step toward survival is revolutionizing how we present our sports to the public. We must package our competitions in an engaging, consumable format that excites audiences and attracts broadcasters.
Let’s be honest: All-day meets with endless time trials don’t engage the public and never will… We need competitions with clear narratives, dramatic moments, and real stakes.”
He outlines what he views as the steps for the path forward.
- Creating tangible value for institutions
- Implementing meaningful change in how we operate
- Prioritizing the spectator and viewer experience
- Revolutionizing how we present our sport.
He ends his speech by saying “The future of [the sport] isn’t written yet, but the window of opportunity is closing…
“The choice is yours: Will you be part of the solution, or will you watch from the sidelines as our sports fade into irrelevance?”
Spot on in every respect!