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The Daily OrangeGross says swimming cuts a financial decision
Women's hockey will replace swimming in 2008
By Matt Gelb
Posted: 6/5/07, 12:46 AM EST Section: Sports
JUNE 1 9:24 P.M. - Syracuse officially announced Friday it will cut the men's and women's swimming and diving teams after the 2007-08 season and add a women's hockey program beginning in the 2008-09 season.
Syracuse Director of Athletics Daryl Gross addressed the media on a teleconference call Friday afternoon and said the decisions were made based on research within the athletic department that concluded Syracuse needed to buy a new facility for the swimming teams-a financial project the university could not handle.
"If we are going to have a swimming program here, then it's very important that we have the resources to do it the right way," Gross said. "Part of those resources would be getting a new natatorium, a new pool facility, diving and all those type of things. The cost for those is enormous, and they're costs that we can't put into it right now."
Gross estimated the cost of new facilities for the swim team to be at least $35 million. While the athletic department currently plans to build a new basketball practice facility and renovate Manley Field House afterward, Gross said those expenses benefit all 18 teams at Syracuse, not just two.
That doesn't mean the elimination of swimming-the first teams to be cut at Syracuse since 1997-was an easy decision, Gross said. The athletic department has been evaluating the viability of the swimming program "for a couple years now."
"Anytime a sport becomes extinct it's always something that none of us want," Gross said. "But at the same time I do want to bring up the fact that the women's ice hockey team will be given the resources to-in the culture-to foster one of the great programs in the country."
The research conducted by the university showed a groundswell of athletes in the Syracuse area that could be recruited to play Division I hockey.
"There's a big void at Syracuse by us not having an ice hockey team," Gross said. "You look at us, we're more of a winter Olympic sport town. It only makes sense that we would have ice hockey at Syracuse, given the resources in terms of facilities, given the resources in terms of our own community kids who are in the area and are recruitable."
Syracuse Director of Athletics Daryl Gross addressed the media on a teleconference call Friday afternoon and said the decisions were made based on research within the athletic department that concluded Syracuse needed to buy a new facility for the swimming teams-a financial project the university could not handle.
"If we are going to have a swimming program here, then it's very important that we have the resources to do it the right way," Gross said. "Part of those resources would be getting a new natatorium, a new pool facility, diving and all those type of things. The cost for those is enormous, and they're costs that we can't put into it right now."
Gross estimated the cost of new facilities for the swim team to be at least $35 million. While the athletic department currently plans to build a new basketball practice facility and renovate Manley Field House afterward, Gross said those expenses benefit all 18 teams at Syracuse, not just two.
That doesn't mean the elimination of swimming-the first teams to be cut at Syracuse since 1997-was an easy decision, Gross said. The athletic department has been evaluating the viability of the swimming program "for a couple years now."
"Anytime a sport becomes extinct it's always something that none of us want," Gross said. "But at the same time I do want to bring up the fact that the women's ice hockey team will be given the resources to-in the culture-to foster one of the great programs in the country."
The research conducted by the university showed a groundswell of athletes in the Syracuse area that could be recruited to play Division I hockey.
"There's a big void at Syracuse by us not having an ice hockey team," Gross said. "You look at us, we're more of a winter Olympic sport town. It only makes sense that we would have ice hockey at Syracuse, given the resources in terms of facilities, given the resources in terms of our own community kids who are in the area and are recruitable."
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Robert Kohnken
posted 6/18/07 @ 4:33 PM EST
The Athletic Director does notsay why new facilities for swimming are needed or why the cost is so high. Is he going to build a 50 Meter pool/
Who knows. (Continued…)
Kevin Roberts
posted 8/20/07 @ 2:56 PM EST
Matt Gelb is a noob. I pwn him in Wolfenstein ET every time we play. Get good noob.
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