In a somewhat stunning move, the Chancellor at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington announced in a press conference today that he rejected all of the recommendations to cut sports. This means that the swimming program will live on, for now.
Despite a committee after very thorough research recommending that five sports be cut, including men’s and women’s swimming & diving, men’s indoor track, men’s cross country, and softball, to save $800,000 a year, Chancellor Gary L. Miller has decided that no programs needed to be cut. After exhaustive meetings with members of the different programs, Miller has instead called on the community to provide more support to the athletic department.
Leaders of the fight to save the swimming programs, including team captain Matt Byrd, think that the relentlessness of their campaign paid a huge factor in the decision. “I think that how involved our campaign specifically got with the community was a big thing, and showed the Chancellor a lot (about the support for these programs.)”
Several sources told us of many productive meetings between the Chancellor and head coach Dave Allen where alternative solutions to an outright cut were discussed at length.
The Chancellor’s comments for a need for greater support reflects much of what the report found. Specifically, the opening remarks focused on a lack of revenue as a primary reason for the approximately $600,000 budget shortfall, saying that the Seahawk Club had brought in less than 44% of their fundraising target for the 2012-2013 fiscal year as of March.
Now you all need to pay up pay up pay up. Every single UNCW current swimmer and any and all living alumni swimmers better be joining the Seahawk Club and making major donations, yearly, to men’s and women’s swimming.
This is great news, but may only be delaying the inevitable. A team that is a consistent contender and conference winner needs to set up an endowment or find more $$ in fundraising! Do not stop! Congrats on a great campaign.
I’m so glad! I’m a swim coach in Florida and I recently purchased a Save UNCW tshirt. I’ve been encouraging my kids to buy them, too. Our coaching staff has been stressing the importance of the swim community and how we all be there for each other. With that being said, good luck Seahawks!
Congratulations to the team and the Chancellor for taking such a bold step in the face of the bean counters.
It’s not always about the mighty dollar. I hope more publicity will help pull in more support for these programs.
It is sad that more people don’t understand that sports can be just as important as books in building a well rounded person.
I feel when you get into the working world you can tell people that have participated in higher level sports from people that haven’t. They have a drive and focus to them that others don’t and have leadership and confidence that others don’t. I don’t know if all of that can be attributed to the sports… Read more »
Congrats Matt and the rest of the UNC-W swim team. As Kirk mentions above, don’t relax but at least you all can breathe and enjoy. Can’t wait to see what this team will continue to do in the coming years!
Congratulations to Seahawk nation. Former swimmers and parents PLEASE do not relax. You need small contributions from a lot, not big contributions from a little. You can do it! Contact Wally at Cleveland State and mirror his plan. Seems to be a program very much the same as UNCW