On Tuesday night, the MSU swim club set out to collectively swim 26.2 miles over the course of their evening practice. Their effort, dubbed “Marathon for MSU,” was meant to draw attention to the long and ongoing fight to reinstate MSU’s swim and dive team which was shut down in 2020.
The end of MSU swim and dive has been a contentious issue since it was first cut due to a "financial crisis." A few months following the decision, 11 members of the women's team filed a Title IX lawsuit that nearly reached the U.S. Supreme Court and was settled with the university in early 2023. But the team was not reinstated.
This past summer, however, hopes for the team’s reinstatement resurged following the approval of a new 50-meter pool as part of a planned student recreation center, which is currently under construction.
Following the news, University of Michigan swimmer Matthew Kroll approached supporters of the swim and dive team with the idea for a marathon-length swim in support of the team’s reinstatement. According to Kroll’s website, Marathon for MSU sets aside the fierce rivalry between the two schools to focus on supporting all collegiate swimming programs.
“I’m really happy that people showed up,” MSU swim club president and management senior Sam Stefanek said. “Swimmers are very passionate about this issue. The swim community in general is very supportive of each other. At the end of the day, we’re all in the same sport.”
Club member and philosophy senior Jack Timmer said the resurrection of the swim and dive team is essential to MSU staying up-to-par with other Big Ten schools in terms of athletic offerings.
“It’s something that (any) Big Ten university should have,” Timmer said at the event. “If MSU wants to be competitive, this is something that should exist.”
Despite news of the new 50-meter pool giving MSU swimmers a glimmer of hope, there is a big hurdle to overcome: the $26.5 million fundraising goal set by Interim President Teresa Woodruff in June. According to Woodruff, if the team fundraised that amount by October, MSU would reinstate the team.
While Stefanek couldn’t confirm the exact amount they’ve received so far, he admitted that the goal was likely unmeetable with the deadline being in October. In August, The State News was told they had $5.25 million in pledges.
“The overall $26 million is probably a little out of reach,” Stefanek said. “However, I do think that where we’re at is enough to be able to get a better facility and reinstate the team.”
Regardless of the fundraiser's status, swim club members who participated in the marathon made it clear that they want the varsity team reinstated. Club member and construction management senior Craig Maibach said he knows multiple former members of the team and wishes they could have their team back.
“I really feel for them,” Maibach said. “They lost their family basically. It was their home.”
