Petition to save ECU's swimming and diving gains signatures

GREENVILLE, Pitt County — A Change.org petition has been started to save East Carolina University's Swim and Dive program.

East Carolina University announced its decision Thursday to drop four intercollegiate athletic programs as part of the university's budget restructuring efforts during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Affected programs were men’s swimming and diving, women’s swimming and diving, men’s tennis and women’s tennis; officials say it impacts 68 student-athletes and nine coaches.

According to the petition, the men and women's swim and dive programs have won several championships over the years, including the men's swim and dive conference championship for this past year.

"The worst part about cutting this program is that the team was a family," the petition says. "They supported each other no matter what, they inspire each other to be better in the pool and in the classroom, and they have made a lasting impact on everyone who has gone through the program."

The petition was created by Ryan Brennan and has almost 15,000 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon.