‘Everyone was shocked’: Marshall axes Swimming & Diving

February 18, 2026 The Parthenon

When most think of the college experience, they might picture packed stadiums, early morning practices, lifelong friendships and the pride that comes with wearing the school’s name across their chest. At Marshall University, athletics are not just an extracurricular activity, they are woven into the identity of the institution itself, but for the 28 women of Marshall Swimming & Diving, that sense of belonging shifted in a single afternoon.

In early February, rumors began circulating throughout the Huntington community the program could be on the chopping block. At first, it felt like speculation. The team was preparing for its conference championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, focused on training and schedules, not administrative decisions.

That changed Thursday, Feb. 12.

At noon, the team received a notification through Teamworks, the team messaging app, that it was required to attend a mandatory in-person meeting at 2 p.m. at the Cam Henderson Center. The message did not immediately spark fear.

“We did not know, whatsoever,” one member of Marshall Swimming & Diving said. “Obviously, your mind kind of races to like, ‘What could be the worst possibility?’ Honestly, we thought that it had something to do with our upcoming conference championships, like, maybe they couldn’t travel anyone.”

Behind the scenes, however, the decision had already taken shape. Head coach Ian Walsh was informed the day prior, Feb. 11, and advocated for the University to tell the team sooner. Walsh, who led the program for six years, guided athletes to eight school records and four individual conference championships. The original timeline placed a Board of Governors vote Feb. 17 while the team would have been away competing from Feb. 18 through Feb. 21.

Instead, Athletic Director Gerald Harrison stood before the 28 members and told them their program would be discontinued.

“Everyone was shocked,” another member said. “I mean, everyone started crying, just like, holding one another, and it was really hard because [we were], just like, sitting there listening to [Harrison] talk. We were just like, ‘Our whole world came crashing down,’ basically.”

Within minutes, a program built over two decades was told it would not continue.

Shortly after the meeting, Harrison sent a team-wide email formally announcing the decision saying, “After extensive evaluation of long-term sustainability and student athlete experience, we have made the decision to discontinue Swimming & Diving as a varsity sport.” The message framed the move as a strategic determination rather than an emotional one.

The email acknowledged the team’s success. Most recently, Marshall Swimming & Diving was named a Scholar All-America Team by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America after earning a 3.77 team GPA in the Fall 2024 Semester, ranking among the Top 10 Division I programs in the country.

“This decision was made after evaluating what is required to provide the highest-quality student-athlete experience over the long term,” according to the email. “Swimming requires significant ongoing facility, locker room and infrastructure investment to support health, safety, training and recruiting at the level our student-athletes deserve. At this time, we cannot commit to the level of facility and infrastructure investment necessary to support Swimming & Diving in the way our student-athletes deserve and expect from Marshall Athletics.”

For many athletes and alumni, the explanation raised more questions than answered.

Five days later, Feb. 17, the discussion moved into a packed Board of Governors meeting, where over 250 people were virtually present. After returning from executive session at 45 minutes and 50 seconds, board members indicated nothing of importance had been discussed privately. Leadership acknowledged the decision would not be popular, but stood by it.

Administrators emphasized the elimination of the program was not tied to performance; it was described repeatedly as structural. University leadership explained multiple future models for Marshall Athletics were evaluated before arriving at the recommendation. They said the timing of the announcement was driven by responsibility rather than avoidance, citing the NCAA transfer portal timeline. The portal opens March 11, and officials stated they wanted to give athletes as much time as possible to explore options. At the time of the meeting, 17 of the 28 swimmers had already entered the transfer portal.

Financial data was central to the presentation. The program operates on an annual budget of approximately $819,000. Leadership stated the aquatic facility does not meet modern competitive standards and would require significant capital investments, particularly in the locker room areas identified in a recent financial analysis and Title IX evaluation. The pool has not undergone major upgrades since 2002. While the university will continue to maintain the facility, administrators said they cannot commit to the level of capital investment necessary to sustain the program at a competitive standard.

Title IX compliance emerged as one of the most significant factors. An October evaluation concluded Marshall must expand women’s sports participation within five years in order to meet proportionality requirements. Women make up roughly 57% of the student population, yet athletic participation opportunities fall below the percentage. University leadership stated alignment must be achieved and maintained moving forward.

Swimming & Diving currently carries 28 athletes with a maximum roster of 30. In its place, the university has proposed adding stunt, an emerging NCAA championship sport. Officials explained the stunt could support between 30 and 65 student athletes relatively quickly, significantly increasing women’s participation opportunities. Startup costs were described as minimal due to overlap with existing cheer and dance programs. Administrators projected approximately $2.1 million in savings over three years. Stunt is expected to operate at around $330,000 annually, still resulting in roughly a quarter of a million dollars in annual savings compared to Swimming & Diving while nearly doubling participation numbers.

From 2024 to 2025, Marshall allocated nearly $38 million toward athletics. For the 2025 to 2026 fiscal year, the budget increased to almost $39 million. Football alone accounted for approximately $9.8 million in spending in 2025.

While leadership framed the decision as a strategic recalibration centered on sustainability and proportionality, reaction from the community was swift. More than 17,560 verified signatures have been collected opposing the move in response to a Change.org petition urging the university to reconsider.

During the board meeting, Student Body President Connor Waller delivered a statement signed by all team members underscoring the team’s unity and the academic and athletic success they believe merits preservation.

Another member of Marshall Swimming and Diving said she has concerns when it comes to the value of women’s sports at the school and has questions about the difference in funding between men and women’s sports at the university.

“Our team is absolutely devastated, not only at the thought of our program being ripped away from us within seconds, but even more so learning how little [Marshall] Athletics values all the women’s sports here at Marshall,” the member said. “Twenty years in the making, Marshall Athletics has secretly underfunded the women’s sports and provided female athletes with less opportunities compared to all the men’s sports.

“It is heartbreaking knowing a place that preaches love and support for their female athletes disrespects them daily behind closed doors,” she said. “Our team will continue to advocate for not just our team, but all the female athletes at Marshall by looking into Title IX infractions and equity. We will not go silently.”

Lexi Wilhoit, alum and previous Swimming & Diving member, said the news has been heartbreaking, especially since she holds such a special place for Marshall and her team.

“I chose Marshall because it was the first school I had visited that felt like home to me,” Wilhoit said. “Every moment of my recruiting trip, I saw how close the team was and how they welcomed each of us with open arms … Most schools would not accommodate the schedule of an art student, but Marshall was willing to let me swim and pursue my dreams within the art school.

“Nothing about my decision had to do with facilities or gear, but I saw the development the team was working on,” she said. “They were investing in us as people. MUSD was one of the most defining experiences of my life. In the four years with the team, I came out of my shell and became my full, true self. Being a student athlete at Marshall shaped my athletic career, my academic discipline, leadership skills and sense of community. What I loved most about the team was the culture.

“When I was a part of the team, I would have never guessed the team would be considered being cut just three years after I graduated … Current team members reached out to us suddenly and without warning,” Wilhoit said. “The timing, especially one week before conference championships, was devastating and heartbreaking. These athletes deserve to focus on competing and having fun this week rather than defending the existence of their program.”

Many current members and alumni as well as community members say the process has felt anything but transparent and there must have been a better way to inform the athletes of their team’s fate.

“As an alumni, I have never received fundraising opportunities from the athletic department or the Big Green [Scholarship Foundation],” Wilhoit said. “The only fundraising efforts that have been done is by email from the coaches. If funding challenges existed, transparency and collaboration could have led to alternative solutions. Alumni, donors and community members were never given an opportunity to mobilize or support the program before the decision was made.”

What administrators describe as structural alignment and long term planning, the members describe as the sudden unraveling of something deeply personal. For 28 women, it is not simply a budget line or a participation ratio; it is early mornings in the pool, conference medals, academic honors and a team that felt like home.