Open Letter to United States Congress:

Subject: Provide financial relief to "non-revenue" college sports

Dear Congress:

The Covid-19 pandemic and societies’ actions to stop the spread has affected everyone around the globe, disrupting business, education, sports, and other activities deemed not essential.  One of these activities is “non-revenue generating” collegiate sports like swimming, track, and gymnastics to name a few.

The collegiate sports system is an essential part of the collegiate and high school educational systems.   Sports provides lessons in teamwork, leadership, motivation, discipline, and provides many other positive benefits to MILLIONS of student athletes, teenagers, and youth across the country.

Unfortunately, in 2020, many colleges have had to cut non-revenue generating sports to save athletic budgets.  Over the past 30 years, once a sport has been cut from an athletic department, they are almost never able to be restored.  Saving these sports and the opportunities and motivation they provide to millions of our youth is essential.

Major healthy NCAA Division 1 universities like Iowa, Michigan State, Boise State, Connecticut, Dartmouth, and East Carolina, and more have cut the sport of swimming, water polo and/or other sports in 2020 due to Covid-19.   These cuts negatively impact our current college students, and our younger children, who begin participating in these sports at ages as young as six with the goal of competing one day at the collegiate or elite level.   

We are asking you, when considering economic stimulus, to create funds specifically for sports that are being cut from college campuses nationwide.  These funds could be applied for by the athletic departments ideally as grants or even as long term zero interest loans to be paid back over time. Anything to help keep these sports available for our youth would be a wise investment in our society.

Thank you for taking the time to listen.

Sincerely,
The International Swimming Hall of Fame Board of Directors:

Board Members: Bill Kent, Brent Rutemiller, Alex Blavatnik, Tom Boak, Sandra Bucha, Donna de Varona, David Duda, Steve Glassman, Steve Hasty, William A. Kent, Richard Korhammer, Aaron Peirsol, Mark Schubert, Lisa Scott Founds, Tod Spieker, Steve West