Harvard has never cut a team, and currently offers the most varsity sports in the nation with 41.
Harvard swimmers said they worry whether a domino effect will result in other Ivy League schools eliminating teams.
“Other schools looking to save money can use [the Dartmouth situation] as an excuse,” Brethauer said.
Austin said, however, that the autonomy of each Ivy will keep a trend from spreading.
Walker is confident in Harvard’s commitment to swimming, saying that recent meetings with Harvard athletic department officials—held in response to the recent cuts—have convinced him of Harvard’s commitment to the program.
Advertisement
“I think they plan on keeping it around for a long time in the future,” Walker said.