Cal Poly has made the decision to cut the school's swimming and diving program, citing impacts from the NCAA's $2.8 billion settlement with current and former athletes that paves the way for student-athletes to be paid.
In a post on the school's website, president Jeffery Armstrong said the "the financial realities made the decision unavoidable."
"Unfortunately, Cal Poly is not immune to the rapidly evolving and changing NCAA Division I landscape, which presents many challenges and uncertainties for collegiate athletics programs," Armstrong wrote. "The House vs. NCAA settlement, which addresses past and future compensation for student athletes related to name, image and likeness (NIL) rights, will have a significant financial impact – resulting in a loss of at least $450,000 per year for our programs. This comes amid additional national class-action lawsuits pending against the NCAA, further compounding financial and operational challenges for collegiate athletics."
Armstrong said that making difficult decisions was part of the school's commitment student-athletes.
"At this time, no other Cal Poly sports programs are at risk of being discontinued," Armstrong said. "However, the university continues to look at roster management to ensure we field the most competitive teams while providing a top-tier experience for our student-athletes."
