Saint Leo Reinstates Varsity Swimming Three Years After Cuts
Saint Leo University this month reinstated its men’s and women’s swimming programs after axing them in the spring of 2023.
The Division II program in Florida will return first as a club program in 2027-28 before returning to NCAA competition in 2028-29.
Swimming was cut in the spring of 2023 with immediate effect, just as it was set to swimmers to the NCAA Championships that year.
The tiered return will allow “an opportunity to establish the foundation of the programs, build rosters and prepare for their transition to NCAA Division II competition the following season,” i.e. a foundation that had been in place before the programs were terminated.
Megan O’Reilly, the manager of aquatics and fitness at the school, is already in place to lead both teams. O’Reilly swam at Catholic University before graduating from the University of South Florida in 2022. She is working toward a master’s degree at Saint Leo.
“Saint Leo University is always evaluating the quality and scope of its athletic offerings,” Vice President for Student Life and Athletics Marcal Lazenby said in a press release. “The return of men’s and women’s swimming provides another opportunity for talented student-athletes to pursue their academic and athletic goals at Saint Leo while bringing back two programs with proud histories within our university community.”
Saint Leo touted the program’s history, which was inconsequential three years earlier in deciding to disband swimming. The program made 12 straight appearances at the NCAA Division II Championships on the men’s side from 2012-23 and 10 straight for the women from 2014-23, including that final year with the program’s impending dissolution hanging over them. Henrik Dahrendorf won an NCAA title in the men’s 200 breaststroke in 2019, the university’s third NCAA champion in any sport.
“As we look ahead to 2027-28 and beyond, we are excited about the possibilities these programs present,” Lazenby said. “We look forward to welcoming a new generation of Lions swimmers and building two outstanding programs that our university community can be proud of.”
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