By Braden Keith on SwimSwam
Oklahoma Baptist University, an NCAA Division II school, has announced the cutting of 5 varsity athletics programs at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year, including men’s and women’s swimming and diving.
Those programs will be dropped along with men’s and women’s tennis and women’s lacrosse to help the school deal with the financial fallout of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the school’s press release announcing the move:
“In order to address the long-term financial stability of the university, the Board of Trustees, at its Nov. 6 meeting, approved reductions impacting every area of campus. In line with the university’s overall budget proposal, the OBU Athletics Department has been asked to reduce its annual operating budget by approximately $3 million.”
The school has 583 student-athletes enrolled, which makes up more than 25% of the total student body. Approximately 130 student-athletes will be impacted by the decision.
All existing scholarships will be honored for student-athletes who remain at OBU after their programs are cut “within the standard four-year window,” and the school says that it will assist student-athletes who wish to transfer.
The school says it considered these factors when deciding which programs to cut:
- Net financial impact on the institution
- Conference sport sponsorship requirements
- Regionality and conference affiliation
- Future capital/facility needs
- Current and future competitiveness
- Local and regional sport offerings
- Title IX compliance
The cuts are expected to save approximately $2.5 million dollars in fiscal year 22, increasing to $3.1 million in savings annually once athletics-based scholarship student-athletes who decide to stay at OBU graduate.
As with most of the cuts we’ve seen this year, Oklahoma Baptist says they do “not believe such a fundraising goal is realistic” with regards to fundraising to save the programs.
Coaches’ contracts will be honored through May 31, 2020.
Oklahoma Baptist launched its swimming & diving program in 2011 and quickly rose to become one of the best teams in the NAIA under head coach Sam Freas, who died in 2019.
The women’s team was runner-ups for NAIA in 2012 and won national championships in 2013, 2014, and 2015.
They fully transitioned into NCAA Division II in the 2017-2018 season, and in their first year there saw the men’s team finish 4th and the women’s team finish 5th at the NCAA Championship meet. The men were led by sprinter David Lambert, whose 19.29 in the 50 yard free remains an NCAA Division II record. He also led off an NCAA-title winning 200 free relay.
The women’s team also had a national champion that year: diver Genesis Veliz won the 3-meter springboard event.
At the most recent completed NCAA Division II National Championship meet, the OBU women placed 10th and the OBU men placed 20th. Among the highlights at that meet was then-junior Victoria Fonville finishing runner-up in the 50 yard free in 22.5.
Oklahoma Baptist joins a growing list of college swimming & diving programs that have been cut this summer among the financial challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. Other programs dropped:
- Boise State – women
- UConn – men
- Dartmouth – men and women
- East Carolina – men and women
- Iowa – men and women
- La Salle – men
- Michigan State – men and women
- Tiffin (D2) – men and women
- UMass Dartmouth (D3) – men and women
- Urbana (D2) – men and women (entire university shut down)
William & Mary also cut their swimming program, but ultimately reinstated both the men’s and women’s teams.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Oklahoma Baptist Cuts Swimming & Diving, 3 Other Sports Programs
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