Indian River State College’s championship Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving program was given a one-month reprieve after a marathon board of trustees meeting resulted in the board tabling a recommendation to eliminate the program pending an administrative report that includes financials and input from the community.
Dozens of supporters showed up to the Dixon Hendry Campus Williamson Conference Center Auditorium in Okeechobee last week to urge trustees to keep the program intact.
Based on the numbers of attendees wishing to speak at the 9:30 a.m. Governance and Legislative Affairs Committee meeting, trustees agreed to allow public comment during the committee meeting and again later at the regular trustee meeting at 1 p.m.
Both the men’s and women’s teams have experienced unprecedented success over the years, with the men winning 52 consecutive national championships and the women scoring 48 national titles.
“Time is not our friend. We have a mission to educate 24,000 students,” said IRSC President Dr. Timothy Moore. “It’s not that I don’t like the program. We have 10,000 signatures but not a single donation. As president I have to right size the budget. I didn’t create the circumstances, I inherited them. This is a tough fiscal position.”
The swimming and diving teams received $13,000 in donations over the past three years, while the baseball program got $300,000.
IRSC’s total athletic budget is $4.9 million, or about $41,000 per student-athlete. Other athletic teams are facing possible cuts with recommendations to move baseball, softball and men’s basketball to Division 2 competition.
Also in question is that only one swimming and diving team member from both the men’s and women’s teams was an in-district athlete; 24 were in-state athletes, four were out of state and 14 were international athletes.
The committee voted to table the recommendation at the end of the committee meeting, and after more discussion and additional speakers at the trustee meeting in the afternoon, the trustees voted unanimously to table the recommendation to eliminate the program.
Moore and Athletic Director Scott Kimmerman were asked to create an administrative report that includes financials and community feedback to bring back to the board for the Nov. 17 meeting at the Massey Campus in Fort Pierce. The report will be posted on the college website one week before the meeting.
Many spoke during both the committee meeting in the morning and at the afternoon trustee meeting in the afternoon, and some did not know that the program was being considered for elimination until days before the meeting. Thousands came together in a short period of time to sign petitions while dozens crammed into the meeting room; many hoping to speak in support of keeping the teams.
“I do believe that these conversations have been going on for multiple years and our community should have been a part of it because we didn’t know,” said state Rep. Dana Trabulsy during the public speaking part of the meeting.
“We will rally behind what we need to do to see athletics in our school here. It’s what makes us stand out from other state colleges. Allow the community to get involved.”
“This is not just an athletic program. Give us some time as a community to show you what we can do,” said speaker Amy Martin.
Richard Shaw, the father of a freshman team member Caylee, said that they did not know there was an issue when they signed up for the school. “Great leadership is tough, but eliminating the program! That’s an easy choice, just cut it,” he said, unhappy about the quick decision but proud that 17,000 people responded in less than a week hoping to save the program.
Shaw said he would be willing to spearhead a fund-raising organization.
Kalaa Hall, a swimmer from Australia, said, “We learned on social media that this program that we had built our lives around might be eliminated. Since then, I’ve watched sadness and panic spread throughout the team and the public.”
As a sophomore, Hall said he would be leaving the school but that he was there to support the freshman swimmers and the program’s future.
St. Lucie County Planning Director Ben Balcer, an IRSC graduate and swimmer, said, “I recognize you’re facing a difficult situation, but I respectively ask that you vote against eliminating swimming and diving. The swimming and diving programs are part of the fabric of this community.”
If the program is eliminated, it will take effect during the 2027-28 academic year.