Hunter
02/15/21
After originally citing budget shortfalls and announcing that the University of Iowa women’s Swimming and Diving program would be terminated at the end of this season, the school has done an about-face and fully reinstated both programs.
In August 2020, the Iowa Athletics Department estimated a financial deficit of $75 million brought on by the COVID pandemic. The university developed a plan to mitigate the shortfall, which included budget cuts, salary reductions, elimination of positions, and the decision to discontinue men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s gymnastics, and men’s tennis at the end of this season.
Members of the women’s swim team brought a Title IX discrimination lawsuit against the school in September, and a judge ordered the programs to continue while the legalities played out. In a release from the University, Athletic Director Gary Barta is quoted as saying, “We made the decision the right thing to do was to re-instate the women’s swimming and diving program and remove any uncertainty moving forward for our current student-athletes as well as high school swimmers considering attending the University of Iowa.”
The men’s teams will still be discontinued at the end of their seasons.
The women’s swimming and diving team has already seen coaches and athletes transfer out of the programs, and it’s unsure those that are currently in the transfer portal will remain there.
Barta will hold a news conference through Zoom Tuesday at 1pm to further discuss the decision.