NEWARK, NJ—NJIT has reinstated its intercollegiate men's swimming program for 2010-11, Director of Athletics Lenny Kaplan announced today.
The program, which had been suspended in early May due to budgetary considerations, will operate in 2010-11 with reduced institutional financial support compared to past years. The coaching staff will be volunteers and the program will be largely self-funded.
Team members expressed a strong desire to continue the intercollegiate program in meetings with school officials following the earlier announcement.
“Due to the strong will and interest of the current men's swim team members and recent alumni, I am happy to report the men's program will return, with limited financial support from the institution, for the 2010-11 school year,” said Kaplan in announcing the program's reinstatement. “The budget gap had led us to eliminate varsity sponsorship of our men's and women's swim program. I said at the time (early May) that I have hopes of returning the teams fully at a time in the future when the budget situation is improved. The decision we are announcing represents a bridge to that time for men's swimming.”
The head coach, who will serve on a voluntary basis, is recent alumnus Rob Franc, a former NJIT swimmer (Class of 2007), who was an assistant coach at UMBC beginning in December 2008 and was an assistant coach at his alma mater before that.
At UMBC, Franc was assistant coach of the varsity team and head age group coach for the Retriever Aquatics Club at the school.
The 2010-11 NJIT team is expected to participate in 10 to 15 meets against regional opponents. NJIT had stated earlier that it will honor all existing athletic scholarship commitments to swimming student-athletes.
On May 7, NJIT announced it had suspended sponsorship of its men's and women's intercollegiate swimming teams, effectively immediately. At that time, Kaplan said the decision to suspend sponsorship was based on budgetary considerations resulting from the unprecedented $10.1 billion gap in the New Jersey State budget.
The proposed state budget for fiscal year 2011 includes reductions of $173.1 million in appropriations to higher education statewide, which, of course, includes NJIT as a whole, and the Athletics Department as a component of NJIT.
The latest move does not alter NJIT's previously announced decision to suspend sponsorship of its intercollegiate women's swimming team, which will not compete in 2010-11.
