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Davenport Adds Men's Team

Greg Earhart

Davenport University announced today that it is adding men's swimming and diving to its growing athletic department. The program will compete at the NCAA Division II level and join the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The move comes a year after Eastern Michigan University dropped their men’s team and comes on the heels of Oregon State’s decision to eliminate their women’s team and the University of Bridgeport cutting both men and women.

Current head coach Justin Vasquez of the women's swimming and diving program will also be in charge of the men's swimming and diving program.

"I am thrilled that our University has decided to add men's swimming and diving," said Vasquez. "The addition of men's swimming and diving is an example of the support Davenport University has for collegiate student-athlete opportunities."

CSCAA Executive Director Greg Earhart noted that the addition makes sense for a program like Davenport.

“This fills a need for additional men’s scholarship swimming in the state of Michigan after Eastern Michigan cut their team,” said Earhart. “A lot of credit has to go to Paul Lowden and the DU leadership for seeing the opportunity serve a need in the community. A lot of credit must also go to Coach Vasquez for highlighting the value of swimming and diving in the first place.”

With the announcement, three teams are on target to begin competition in 2020-21. In addition to Davenport, Division III Piedmont University will sponsor men’s and women’s programs. Next season nineteen new teams (eleven men’s, eight women’s) are set to dive in for the first time. It is the second-straight year that the number of new men’s programs has exceeded the number of new women’s programs.

Women’s Programs Beginning in 2019-20

  1. Montevallo (Division II)

  2. Medaille College (Division III)

  3. Milsaps College (Division III)

  4. University of Lynchburg (Division III)

  5. Bethel College-Indiana (NAIA)

  6. Judson University (NIAIA)

  7. Simpson University (NAIA

  8. Westmont College (NAIA)


Men’s Programs Beginning in 2019-20

  1. Youngstown State (Division I)

  2. Adams State (Division II)

  3. Assumption College (Division II)

  4. Montevallo (Division II)

  5. Medaille College (Division III)

  6. Milsaps College (Division III)

  7. University of Lynchburg (Division III)

  8. Bethel College-Indiana (NAIA)

  9. Judson University (NIAIA)

  10. Simpson University (NAIA

  11. Westmont College (NAIA)