This past Monday, University of Maryland President Wallace Loh accepted the recommendation to cut eight teams, including men’s and women’s swimming and diving, from the President’s Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, effective July 1, 2012. However, the administration is giving affected teams until June 30, 2012 to raise enough funding to save their programs.
Anticipating such a response, Maryland swimmers, parents, and alumni have organized to raise the $11.6 million required to fund the program for eight years, as laid out in Athletic Director Kevin Anderson's response to the Commision's report, with a permanent endowment of $36 million as their end goal.
“We were not surprised by these numbers. This is what we expected. No panic.” said John Tynan, father of freshman Matthew Tynan, and one of the lead organizers of the efforts to save the programs.
Save the Terps banners hang throughout the Eppley Recreation Center at the University of Maryland's annual Terp Cup Invitational (Bryan Flaherty/The Washington Post)
Parents and alumni have registered Save Maryland Swimming and Diving, Inc., a non-profit 501(3)(c) corporation, to raise funds to permanently endow the programs, according to Kevin Reardon, communications director for the organization and a former Maryland swimmer.
“It’s our goal to raise $2 million dollars by December 31 to show the student-athletes that we are commited to saving the program.” added Tynan.
Maryland's ten 2012 Olympic Trials qualifiers (Save Maryland Swimming and Diving, Inc.)
However, swimmers and divers will be pressured to make a decision on whether to remain at Maryland or transfer to another program sometime in late February or March. Several parents said they had already begun having this discussion with their swimmers and expressed their support of whatever decision they might make.
Anderson has designated two senior development staff members to help affected teams raise the funds necessary to save their programs.
“This will not be an easy task, however, the need has never been greater and I am committed to giving this fundraising initiative our maximum effort.” Anderson said in his response to the Commission's report.
Said Tynan,”The administration has been very open to discussions. They recognize the qualities of the program and are willing to collaborate on the efforts to help save [it]. This is a matter of dollars and cents.”
Those involved in the fundraising efforts have reached out to other collegiate swimming programs that have faced similar budget cuts in the past, including Syracuse; the Orange's swimming and diving program was cut in 2007.
“We've seen a tremendous outpouring of support from [swimming and diving] programs all across the country,” Tynan said.
The Save UMD Swimming & Diving Facebook group is approaching 14,000 members. Support continues to roll in from other NCAA programs, club teams, and Olympians, including Baltimore native Michael Phelps and his coach, Bob Bowman, former University of Michigan head coach.
“This has really brought together everyone. The swimmers, the parents, the alumni, we're all one family. We're in it for the long-haul,” Lafferty said.
Maryland's men's and women's teams both placed first in their annual Terp Cup Invitational, held this past weekend. The wins were fueled by a huge number of personal bests from Maryland swimmers.
“They're holding up their end of the bargain in the pool. We'll do our best to hold up our end outside of it.” Tynan said.
“If there is anything that our remarkable student-athletes have taught me over the past week, it is that there is no challenge that we cannot meet, no goal that we cannot achieve, if dedicated and passionate supporters work together for a common and urgent cause,” Loh wrote.
To read more on Maryland's budget cuts click here for Matt Bonesteel's article “Maryland President Wallace Loh agrees to cut eight teams to alleviate budget woes.”