La Salle University has reinstated Men’s Swimming and Diving as a varsity program, effective immediately, the chair of La Salle’s Board of Trustees announced.

William W. Matthews, III, Esq., ’90, shared the following with the La Salle community in a May 3 message:

“Last fall, the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation announced the difficult but necessary decision to reduce the number of La Salle’s intercollegiate athletics teams at the end of this academic year. This action better aligned the size of our department with those of national and conference peer institutions and followed a comprehensive review aimed at elevating our student-athlete experience and improving the competitiveness and quality of our programs.

“At the time of this announcement, and in the months that followed, department and University leadership have met with players, coaches, families, and alumni from the affected programs and have discussed an openness to – and a roadmap for – program reinstatement dependent upon key criteria, including the presentation of new and compelling information and meeting or exceeding required fundraising benchmarks by the conclusion of April.

“I am pleased to share that Men’s Swimming and Diving has been reinstated as a varsity program, effective immediately, following the Board of Trustees’ approval of a recommendation from the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation, which was then moved forward by the Board’s Athletics and Recreation Committee. The Men’s Swimming and Diving program and its alumni base has developed an independent and external fundraising infrastructure that will support the operational costs of the program in the short and long term. More specifically, the Men’s Swimming and Diving program raised the funds necessary to support the program and enhance the Division I student-athlete experience at La Salle. This measure aligns with our commitment to and compliance with all Title IX regulations, and the University will continue offering proportional participation opportunities for both male and female students. Additionally, the Board felt tremendous confidence in the reinstatement for Men’s Swimming and Diving due to existing efficiencies between it and the Women’s Swimming and Diving program, with which it shares a coaching staff, venue, and other resources.”