Facing a budget shortfall of at least $30 million, Michigan State announced Thursday that it is cutting its men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs at the end of the 2020-21 season.
The move was declared in an open letter signed by athletic director Bill Beekman and President Samuel Stanley.
“The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have touched every area of our life,” the letter read. “It’s forced us all to evaluate not only our current place, but also our prospects for the future. Michigan State Athletics is not immune from those calculations. Sadly, as a University and an athletic department, we’ve reached a decision that MSU athletics will no longer sponsor men’s and women’s swimming and diving as varsity sports following the conclusion of the 2020-21 season.