Save Cal Poly Poster at NCAAs; Program Seeking Support from Swimming Community
At both the NCAA Women’s Championships last week and the men’s meet this week, the topic of non-revenue sports like swimming have been brought to the forefront of a national conversation. On March 7, the announcement was made to discontinue the Cal Poly swim and dive team immediately, citing the Grant House settlement.
As a refresher, the story went viral in the swimming world and beyond. Olympians across all sports, college teams, and national news rallied behind the Mustangs in a show of support for collegiate athletics. A few weeks later, the Cal Poly President set a marker: Raise $25 million.
Fast forward to both Division I NCAA meets, and the support for Cal Poly is clear. On the ESPN broadcast, Olympic champion commentator Rowdy Gaines brought up the Mustangs’ situation and voiced support for the team on multiple occasions. The swimming community has rallied behind a team that has nowhere to go but up. A poster has appeared in the halls of the Weyerhaeuser Aquatic Center with a QR code to the team’s GoFundMe.
To date, the efforts to save the team have raised over 2.1 million dollars, with alumni from the decades long history of the program rallying. Even Olympic legends like Missy Franklin have weighed in, promising to do anything possible to save the team.
