Boise State University athletic director Curt Apsey announced today the removal of baseball and swimming and diving teams. The measure follows an in-depth review of the Athletics Department’s financial situation, exacerbated by the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The equipment cuts, combined with other cost-saving measures, are expected to reduce the department’s overall budget by $ 3 million.
“This is one of the most difficult decisions athletic departments have to make, but it comes at a time when we are facing the most serious financial challenge we’ve ever seen,” said Apsey. “Times like these are difficult for many people and we appreciate everyone who has supported these programs over the years, including our coaches, current and former student athletes, donors, and fans. We take all of these steps seriously, knowing that the long-term stability of our department must remain a high priority. “
Boise State included 26 women on the swimming and diving list in 2019-20, including 6 freshmen, 5 sophomores, and 10 juniors. The Broncos finished 7th in the Mountain West 2020 Conference Championship, dropping 4 points from their third place in 2019. The team struggled to maintain their level after Jeremy Kipp moved to Northwestern after the 2017-18 season. As the Broncos head coach, Kipp had been named Mountain West Swimming Coach of the Year for 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2017-18.
Boise State added swimming and diving for women in the 2006-2007 season and quickly became one of the best mid-career programs in the country. That included scoring points in the 2011, 2013, and 2014 NCAA Championship matches.
Boise State will continue to support men’s basketball, cross country, soccer, golf, tennis and athletics, and women’s basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. Boise State had just brought back the men’s baseball team that had been discontinued after the 1990 season. The Broncos played just 14 games in 2020 before the season was suspended due to COVID-19.
All student and athlete scholarships will be awarded for affected programs, including incoming 2020 signatories Emma Willmer, Haley Benjamin, Jessica Davis, Katie Faris, Lauren Gryboski, Maddy Mickey, Maxine Catig, Samantha Nickell, Victoria Gutiérrez. Support will be provided to student athletes who wish to transfer, all of whom will be immediately eligible at their next institution, according to NCAA rules.
As with UMass Dartmouth, which announced Wednesday that it would cut 8 sports, the late announcement will leave those student-athletes who wish to transfer before next season in a difficult position. That includes the team’s top three lonely finalists in last year’s Mountain West Championship, emerging junior. Lucia Davis, who finished third with a 4: 49.04.
Other schools that have cut back on swimming and diving programs this summer are:
- UMass Dartmouth – men and women
- UConn – men
- East Carolina – men and women
- Tiffin – men and women
- Urbana – men and women (all campus closed)
- Western Illinois – men and women (“suspended indefinitely”)
