By Braden Keith on SwimSwam
A week after Western Connecticut State announced that the school was dropping its swimming programs, the state got some positive news in the opposite direction: NCAA D2 program University of Bridgeport has announced that it plans to add men’s and women’s swimming & diving programs for the fall 2025 semester.
The program’s reinstatement comes a few years after announcing that they would drop both teams following the 2018-2019 seasons.
Bridgeport competes in the NCAA’s Division II and the Metro Conference. Both men’s and women’s teams finished 4th in that conference this past season among 17 women’s programs and 14 men’s.
In their last iteration, Both men’s and women’s teams finished 4th in the Metro Conference among 17 women’s programs and 14 men’s. Most of the school’s athletics teams compete in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, which doesn’t sponsor swimming & diving, so the school will seek affiliate status with another conference.
The Bridgeport men have won 12 NCAA D2 event titles in program history, which ranks them among the top 20 all-time in that category. The men’s team scored at the NCAA Championships every season from 2010 through 2019 when they were cut, with a peak finish of 5th place in 2014 under then-head coach Brad Flood.
The Bridgeport women have scored at the NCAA Championships on 12 occasions, with a best finish of 8th place, also in 2014.
At the time of the cut, athletics director Anthony Viti cited low participation numbers in the women’s program and no diving program as contributing factors in the decision. Since then, the university, a nonprofit, non-sectarian private school, was purchased by Goodwin University in 2021. Goodwin University is much younger (it was founded in 1962 and renamed in 1999, obtaining non-profit status in 2004). The move operates Bridgeport as a subsidiary, with the school maintaining its own brand and name.
Bridgeport is located on a 56-acre campus on the Long Island Sound in Southwestern Connecticut and has a current undergraduate enrollment of 1,479. The school has seen a steady increase in enrollment since Godwin University took over, with overall student enrollment increasing almost 34% over the last two years. The majority of the school’s students are graduate students.
Fall 2023 saw 99 new student-athletes enroll in the school. Government data reports that the school currently has 299 student-athletes competing across 8 sports (all of track combined as one), indicating that athletics is a key part of the university’s overall growth plan.
“We are extremely pleased and excited to be able to bring back men’s and women’s swimming to our slate of athletic offerings,” said Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Jay Moran. “This announcement shows the commitment of our current administration under the direction of President Danielle Wilken to strengthening our athletic program and the University as a whole.”
UB’s Dean of Admissions, Allison Garris, Ed.D., shared her enthusiasm for the new swimming and diving teams. “This program aligns perfectly with our vision of offering a well-rounded student experience that fosters athletic and academic achievement. We are confident that this team and the diverse group of student-athletes it brings to UB will become a source of tremendous pride for the entire UB community,” said Garris.
The school says that “recent renovations to UB’s pool facilities, as well as a brand new, state-of-the-art fitness center located in the same building, have made the introduction of swimming and diving a reality.”
The school is home to a 6-lane pool that it lists as being 25-meters in length rather than the standard collegiate distance of 25 yards.
SwimSwam: University of Bridgeport in Connecticut Will Re-Add Swimming Programs After 6 Year Hiatus
You must be logged in to post a comment Login