KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Kutztown University will add men's swimming to its varsity sports roster for the 2024-25 academic year.
 
The new sport will support the university's strategic enrollment efforts while enhancing the Golden Bears women's swimming roster. Men's swimming will increase KU's varsity intercollegiate programs to 23, including 14 women's programs and nine men's programs.
 
"We are excited about the opportunity to bring more student-athletes to our campus," KU president Dr. Kenneth S. Hawkinson said. "We have been growing our enrollment through athletics for the past few years through the addition of women's acrobatics and tumbling in 2020, and the commitment to men's swimming for the 2024-25 season.
 
"Our student-athletes continue to persist and retain at a high level, and their grade point averages remain at or above that of the overall student body," Hawkinson said. "Men's swimming will certainly contribute to those numbers, as well as support recruitment and retention for our women's swim team."
 
The KU men's swimming program was eliminated in 2009 as a part of university-wide financial cuts. The sport was first sponsored at Kutztown during the 1970-71 season and produced 22 winning dual meet seasons, 11 All-Americans across 19 events and one national champion in two events. The program placed as high as 12th nationally twice (1977-78 and 1995-96) and peaked at third in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship meet in 2003-04. The Golden Bears were 6-3 in their last season of dual meet competition and placed eighth in the eight-team conference title meet.
 
Seven schools in the PSAC currently sponsor men's swim programs. There are 77 programs at the NCAA Division II level.
 
"We have considered several scenarios for sport expansion over the past five years," said Matt Santos, KU's vice president for University Relations & Athletics since 2017. "We needed to first make a stronger commitment to Title IX by enhancing support for our current women's programs and adding a new women's sport. The addition of men's swimming is the best fit for our institution as it is sponsored by many of our sister institutions and the necessary infrastructure is already in place in the Athletic Department. We also listened to our women's swimmers, who felt the addition of a men's team was important to their experience as student-athletes."
 
Tim Flannery, who previously coached the men's team from 1996 through 2009 and is in his 26th season as the Golden Bears women's swim coach, will be responsible for rebuilding the men's swimming program while continuing to coach the women.
 
"I am so excited for our men's swimming alumni and our women's swim team," Flannery said. "It was devastating to lose our men's program in 2009. There is no question having a men's program will help our women's team. The biggest and best swim programs sponsor both teams. The swimmers from both teams tend to form strong bonds and push each other to be better student-athletes on many levels. I am thankful to our administration for making this decision and understanding the value of intercollegiate athletics in general."
 
The men's swimming roster will have a limit of 12 swimmers to begin, while the women's roster is expected to grow from 15 to 20.
 
"We feel this is the right time to reintroduce men's swimming," said KU's athletic director Renee Hellert, who was instrumental in the decision to bring the sport back to KU. "The university's efforts toward Title IX are optimal through roster management, the addition of women's acrobatics and tumbling, facility enhancement and the growth of the women's coaching staff. I am excited for coach Flannery and our swimming alumni about the return of men's swimming, but even more so, I am happy for our women's swimmers who will receive an enhanced experience as Golden Bear student-athletes."
 
Golden Bear men's swimming once again has a home on the KU Athletics website at www.kubears.com.  Information on the KU women's swim team, which is currently in the midst of its 2022-23 season, can also be found at www.kubears.com
 

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FAQs for Men's Swimming at Kutztown University
 
Q: Why is KU adding men's swimming?
A: The addition of men's swimming supports the university's strategic enrollment plan. Men's swimming is expected to add 17 new students to KU's overall enrollment, which includes five new women's swimmers by 2024.
 
Q: Why is KU adding a sport nearly two years before it is expected to begin?
A: A new sport takes time to establish. The head coach will need much of 2023 to recruit a team to begin competing in fall 2024.
 
Q: Will adding a 23rd sport impact the other intercollegiate athletic teams?
A: Primarily in a positive way. The plan to add men's swimming includes strategies to enhance some support areas in Athletics, which will support the entire department. In addition, research has indicated it will support recruitment, retention and competitiveness for the women's swim program.
 
Q: Will scholarships be available for the student-athletes recruited to participate in men's swimming at KU?
A: Yes, scholarships will be available for new student-athletes recruited to the team from high school or the NCAA transfer portal.

Q: Who will coach men's swimming at KU?
A: Tim Flannery, who previously coached the men's swimming program before it was eliminated in 2009, will coach the men's program while continuing as the women's coach. The part-time assistant position will be enhanced to better support the additional men's and women's student-athletes.
 
Q: Will the addition of men's swimming impact the university and Athletic Department financially?
A: There will be a financial impact of adding a men's swim team to the university and department, primarily through some new operating and scholarship costs.
 
Q: How did you determine that men's swimming was the best sport to add?
A: While many options were considered, the re-institution of men's swimming was the most financially viable and best overall fit for the current infrastructure of the Athletic Department at this time. The current financial state of the university and enhanced efforts toward Title IX were strongly considered in the decision to add the sport. KU women's acrobatics and tumbling was the last sport added in 2020, and began competition in early 2022.

Q: Why would Kutztown University bring back men's swimming after it was eliminated in 2009?  
A: The university's administration determined the need to eliminate men's swimming as a part of comprehensive cuts faced during financial challenges at the time. KU has since stabilized its overall budget and enhanced its Title IX efforts considerably in recent years. Adding 17 swimmers (12 men and five women) enhances the university's enrollment in a financially viable manner while supporting the experience of the KU women's swim team.
 
Q: Will KU add additional sports after men's swimming?
A: This concludes the strategic planning efforts in growing enrollment through student-athletes under the current administration.

Q: Where will KU's men's swimming hold its home meets and practices?
A: Home meets will be held in the late fall and early winter season in Keystone Natatorium in conjunction with the Golden Bear women's swim team. The venue will also be used as the practice facility for both teams.

Q:  How big is a typical men's swim team? 
A:  While a minimum of nine swimmers are needed to compete in a meet, KU has set a cap at 12 men's swimmers in the first season, while increasing the women's roster from 15 to 20. Roster numbers will be reevaluated in future seasons.
 
Q: How will the addition of men's swimming impact KU's Title IX plans and strategies for intercollegiate athletics?
A: KU has made tremendous strides in its Title IX efforts with Intercollegiate Athletics in recent years. This includes the implementation of a roster management strategy for men's and women's teams to mirror the female to male enrollment ratio for the overall university; the enhancement of select women's athletics facilities; the addition of coaching personnel for women's sports to significantly improve coach to student-athlete ratio; and the addition of a women's acrobatics and tumbling as a 14th women's sport. With the addition of men's swimming as KU's ninth men's sport, roster management strategies will continue for all sports, with anticipated growth specifically for the women's swimming roster.