Marshall’s women’s swim and dive team pushes for funding legislation after being cut by university

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - On Feb. 17, Marshall University announced it was cutting its women’s swim and dive team and adding a STUNT program.

Marshall President Brad Smith said at the time the three factors leading to this decision are financial, infrastructure and Title IX alignment proportionality.

Tuesday, members of that team were at the West Virginia Capitol to advocate for a bill that would create permanent funding at universities to support their women’s sports programs. Several of the athletes have been at the Capitol throughout the week and last week to push for the bill.

S.B. 502, the “Women’s Collegiate Sports Protection Act,” aims to “save women’s collegiate sports” by establishing a permanent endowment fund for women’s sports at universities.

The bill has already passed the Senate, and the House Education Committee took it up Tuesday, hearing from representatives of Marshall, WVU, and the Marshall women’s swim and dive team.

Madison Bowen, a freshman on the team, addressed the Committee:

“While evaluating this bill, please think of not only us, but of the little girls you pass kicking a soccer ball on your way home from work each day. Think of the young ladies cheering on the sidelines from your district’s football games. Think of your daughters and the opportunities that you hope will be provided to them,” she said. “This bill is simply ensuring that these opportunities will be no more than, but also no less than, equivalent to the opportunities which men have already been given.”

Both the representatives from WVU and Marshall said they were supportive of the bill, calling it “another tool in [their] toolbox.”

“We are fully supportive of any funding that comes in that could be used to support women’s college athletics,” Tony Stroud, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at Marshall University told the Committee.

Stroud also answered questions about the University’s decision to cut the women’s swim and dive team, saying, “as you can imagine, making a decision like this is not easy.”

Del. Mike Pushkin (D-Kanawha) pushed the Committee to fast-track the bill, which they did. The delegates voted to immediately pass the bill out the Committee, forgoing the typical two-day process.

Also at Del. Pushkin’s urging, the Committee voted to ask to waive the second committee reference for the bill and instead send it to the House floor. That decision lies in the hands of House Education Chairman Joe Statler (R-Monongalia) and House Finance Chairman Vernon Criss (D-Wood).