Update 6/13: the fundraising effort is now up to $27,921. Among the names that jumped out to have donated are former University of Arizona NCAA Champion Adam Ritter, along with fellow NCAA coaches and athletes from several programs, including head coach Steve Schaeffer from Grand Canyon, head coach Seth Huston from Rice, representatives from Yale, Georgia Southern, Ashland, Missouri State, and Oakland University. Oakland University are the defending Horizon League champions, and are both a geographic and conference rival of Wright State. Also significant is a donation labeled as coming from North Dakota swimming: a program that knows too well of Wright State’s current situation, as their program was also cut this off-season.
Original article from June 11th below:
After only about a day, give or take, of fundraising, the CSCAA has collected $18,361 toward the requisite $85,000 needed to allow the swimming program at Wright State University to exist for another season.
Courtesy: CSCAA
After negotiations between program alumni, the Collegiate Swim Coaches’ Association of America (CSCAA), and Wright State University, the school agreed that they would not cut the men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs for at least one year if $85,000 could be raised toward its funding.
The program, announced Saturday night, has already surpassed 20% of its goal. The amount raised is being constantly updated on the fundraising page here.
Terms of the agreement:
The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) will receive donations to support the WSU Swimming and Diving Program. If the funding level reaches the required level of $85,000, the CSCAA will transfer the sum of $76,500 to Wright State University (WSU) for the express purpose of preserving the WSU Swimming and Diving Program. The additional 10% or $8,500 “contingency” will be made available to WSU under the guidelines below (“The contingency is needed because of potential changes/adjustments/problems in the budget figures that are being put together. There is no safety net in the event of unforeseen circumstances, hence the contingency.”– As stated by Bob Grant):
- The funds will be kept in the external foundation/CSCAA Forum Account until needed by the Swimming & Diving Program.
- Proof of these funds will be provided to WSU prior to theJune 30, 2017 deadline.
- Prior to transferring any funds, WSU will be required to designate specific use of the funds.
Once the friends of WSU Swimming and Diving have established an independent external foundation, the CSCAA will disperse all donations designated to support the WSU Swimming and Diving program to the external foundation.
WAYS TO DONATE:
- Online at: http://www.cscaa.org/savewrightstate
- The CSCAA will process check payments at C/O Greg Lockard, CSCAA, Attn: Wright State Fund, PO Box 121, Essex Fells, NJ 07021.
I hope they make it, so that the swimmers can keep doing their thing, but I’m gonna hate it when every other struggling school starts threatening to cut their swim team because they know other people will pay for it.
It’s reminiscent of the recent, uniquely American trend of using gofundme to pay for medical care. I am obviously pulling for those who are suffering, but by donating, we are propping up an incredibly flawed and mismanaged system. The whole process is unsustainable, but they know that we’ll cover their asses because we’re all too invested to let the system fail.
Thankfully, in this case, there are not lives (or lifetimes of crippling debt) on the line, but it’s still… Read more »
Surely the vast alumni base of WSU Swimming and Diving will be able to easily raise the necessary funds to buy another year to save their program! The additional year would allow them to get proactive and not reactive to keep the program alive because you know the WS officials will revisit this again a year from now. Cleveland State seems to be the best institution to emulate in regard raising money to keep swimming and diving relevant at the mid major level.
So $85k for one year after cutting the program; sets an interesting precedent.
GO WRIGHT STATE!!!!!!!!!