The Bowling Green Daily News reports Western Kentucky’s swimming and diving program is unlikely to return in 2020 at the completion of a five year suspension.
WKU’s athletic operating budget took a $1.14 million reduction over recent months as part of university-wide cuts. That figure includes $226,502 in personnel costs and $912,981 in non-personnel costs, per the 2018-19 WKU budget approved last week by the school’s Board of Regents.
The program was placed under a five-year suspension in April, 2015 after an investigation by the Bowling Green Police Department and WKU’s Title IX office. Former swimmer Collin Craig filed a complaint in January 2015 with Bowling Green police. Craig reported multiple assaults and hazing incidents that included forced alcohol consumption and made reference to a “veil of secrecy” that discouraged reporting misbehavior to any authority figure outside the swim team.