Boise State's swimming and diving team fighting to reinstate their program

The Boise State athletic department cut their baseball and women's swimming and diving team last week because of necessary budget cuts due to COVID-19.

REPORTED LASTWEEK..

THE BOISESTATE ATHLETICDEPARTMENT ISCUTTING THEIRBASEBALLPROGRAM... AND THEWOMEN'S SWIM ANDDIVE TEAM..THE UNIVERSITYSAYS IT'S ANECESSARY BUDGETCUT DUE TO IMPACTSOF COVID-19..

BUT ASIDAHO NEWS SIXREPORTER LYNSEYAMUNDSONREPORTS..

THEATHLETES AREN'TREADY TO GIVE UPTHEIR DREAMS."IT'S STILLCRUSHING I STILLHAVEN'T MOVED ONFROM THAT FEELINGYET OF HAVING THATCRUSHED DREAMNOT ONLY FOR MEBUT FOR 29 OF MYWOMEN AND ALSOTHE BASEBALLTEAM.""FOR US THISATHLETICDEPARTMENT GOESBEYOND JUST BEINGAN ATHLETE, IT'SGIVEN US APLATFORM TO GROWAS PEOPLE IN THECOMMUNITY ANDSTRONG WOMEN,AND WE WALKEDINTO A LEGACY THATWE WANTED TOUPHOLD AND HAVEOTHER YOUNGLADIES FOLLOW US,IT'S CRUSHING."WITH THE TIMING OFTHE NEWS..

IF THESTUDENT-ATHLETESWANT TO STAY ATBOISE STATE, THEYWILL HAVE TO GIVEUP THEIR DREAMS OFSWIMMINGCOLLEGIATELY."SCHOLARSHIPS AREFULL AROUND THECOUNTRY, THERE'SNOWHERE TO GOAND WHEN ALLTHESE GIRLS ARE INFIELDS LIKE MEDICALFIELDS ANDTEACHING THEYCAN'T GET INTOOTHER NURSINGPROGRAMS ORTEACHINGPROGRAMS ATOTHER SCHOOLS INJULY, THEY REALLYHAVE NOWHERE TOGO."THE TEAMS WERETOLD THERE ISNOTHING THEY CANDO...BUT FOR MOLLYAND TAYLOR THEY'RENOT READY TO GIVEUP THEIR SENIORYEARS.

AND THEYWON'T LET BOISESTATE ATHLETICDIRECTOR CURTAPSEY STAND IN THEWAY."HE SAID THERE'S NOPOSSIBLE WAY TOBRING IT BACK, BUTIF THERE IS ONETHING BOISE STATEHAS TAUGHT US AS ATEAM AND US ASINDIVIDUALS IT'STHAT YOU DON'TGIVE UP, HE CUT THEWRONG PROGRAMTO JUST SAY GIVE UPBECAUSE OURWHOLE ATHLETICCAREERS WE WERETAUGHT TO KEEPFIGHTING UNTIL THEEND, AND IT'S NOTTHE END."THEY UNDERSTANDTHE NEED FORBUDGET CUTSWITHIN THEDEPARTMENTBECAUSE OFCIRCUMSTANCESOUTSIDE OF THEIRCONTROLS, SOTHAT'S WHY THEYARE TURNING TO THECOMMUNITY FORHELP."WE ARE LOOKINGFOR VOICES RIGHTNOW.

WE'RELOOKING FORPEOPLE TO STANDUP AND FIGHT FORTHESE GIRLS ANDSAY WE VALUE YOU,WE VALUE WHAT YOUBRING TO THECOMMUNITY BECAEUORT INRTICULAR ITHEY SRDTAKING PLEDGPPORT FROMHEMMUNITY ANDCOMBINED WITH THE BASEBALL TEAMTHEY HAVE RAISEDOVER $250,000.ALTHOUGH APSEYSAID IN A PRESSCONFERENCE LASTWEEK IT ISN'TSUSTAINABLE FOR ATEAM TO FUNDTHEMSELVES."WE ARE TOLD ITWAS 100 PERCENTFINANCIAL AND THATWE ARE EXPENSIVESPORTS, I DISAGREE ITHINK THAT WE CANWIN CHAMPIONSHIPSON A BARE-BONEDBUDGET AND IM OKWITH THAT.

THAT ISWHAT WE DO IN OURCOMMUNITY, WECOMPETE AGAINSTTOP 25 PROGRAMSACROSS THECOUNTRY WITH NOTAS MANYRESOURCES AS THEYHAVE AND I THINK WECAN CONTINUE TODO THAT."LYNSEYAMUNDSON...IDAHONEWS 6.THEIR GOAL IS TOULTIMATELY RAISETWO MILLIONDOLLARS...BUT THE ATHLETICDEPARTMENT WON'TCOMMENT ON IF THEUNIVERSITY WILLSUPPORT THEM IFTHEY RAISE THECASH .IF IT'S NOTSUCCESSFUL THEYSAID THE MONEYWILL GO BACK TOWHO DONATED IT.