Quincy Latest to Add
In the past five years the number of new programs has outpaced the number of eliminations three to one.
Quincy University has announced that women's and men's swimming will be added to QU's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs, with an anticipated start of competition in Fall 2022.
Teams Established in 2021-22
Aquinas (MI) (Men & Women)
Augustana (SD) (Men)
Ave Maria (Men & Women)
Bluefield State (Men & Women)
Bluffton (Men & Women)
Hobart (Men)
Indiana Wesleyan (Men)
Nebraska-Omaha (Men)
Quincy (Men & Women)
Southern Indiana (Men & Women)
Jamestown (Women)
Wagner (Men)
The announcement makes Quincy the twelfth institution to announce the addition of swimming in the past year. These include eleven new men’s programs and seven new women’s teams. Over the past five years 111 new teams have been established, nearly 3 1/2 times the number that has been eliminated.
The Olympic effect is often cited for growth in swimming participation every four years and Quincy president Dr. Brian McGee cited the recently completed Tokyo Games.
"The United States recently won an impressive 30 Olympic medals for swimming and We are proud to add women's and men's swimming as the thirteenth and fourteenth Olympic sports at QU and to provide new opportunities to these student-athletes."
The announcement makes Quincy the twelfth institution to announce the addition of swimming in the past year. These include eleven new men’s programs and seven new women’s teams. According to CSCAA Executive Director Greg Earhart the reasons for the growth are many.
“Not a month goes by that we don’t have a school ask about adding swimming and diving,” he explained. “Traditionally this has come from institutions looking to increase enrollment or attract better students. Increasingly, however, schools are seeing the addition of men’s swimming as a competitive advantage for their women’s teams and even states are getting involved because of the economic development opportunities that come with the recruitment of talented people.”
Swimming is a top-ten sport for high school student-athletes, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, and the sport has steadily grown in popularity over the past decade.
"We are thrilled to implement swimming as part of our sport offerings at Quincy University. This will allow us to attract new students to our campus who will represent QU in the sport they love," said athletic director Josh Rabe. "At a time when several universities nationwide have eliminated their swimming programs, we recognize the pressing need for more opportunities for student-athletes in this Olympic sport."
QU's swim team will practice and compete in the QU's Health and Fitness Center Pool, an outstanding facility with the potential to host meets in the future. Recruitment of a new swimming coach and the inaugural class of student-athletes will begin immediately.