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Lawsuit prompts Marshall to keep women’s swimming and diving

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Lawsuit prompts Marshall to keep women’s swimming and diving


Marshall University dropped plans to eliminate its women’s swimming and diving program on Wednesday, citing concerns raised in a lawsuit over compliance questions involving Title IX.

The reversal was announced after a special meeting of the Marshall Board of Governors and came a week after a group of swimmers filed a lawsuit seeking to retain the sport.

“Leadership is about making difficult decisions and tradeoffs, and sometimes those decisions are unpopular,” Marshall President Brad Smith said at a news conference. “But leadership is also about having humility to listen, to learn, and to adjust course if new facts and information emerge. And that’s what we have done here.”

Marshall swim coach Ian Walsh said he was “incredibly proud” of those within his program, especially the athletes.

“How you’ve navigated the past month has been nothing short of exceptional,” Walsh said.

Last month, Marshall announced it would drop swimming and add stunt – a sport that incorporates aspects of cheerleading – to its women’s sports offerings. The swim team found out the day before the start of its conference championship meet that its program would end after 23 years.

Athletic director Gerald Harrison told the Marshall Board of Governors on Feb. 17 that the swim team has a $819,000 annual budget, its facilities don’t meet NCAA competition standards and that the athletic department couldn’t commit the funding needed to upgrade the facilities and sustain the program. Stunt, which could support up to 65 athletes, would cost an estimated $320,000 per year, according to Smith.

Title IX ensures equity between men and women in education and prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity receiving federal funds. Compliance can be measured in multiple ways, including whether the overall program’s gender breakdown is proportionate to that of the general student body.

The swimmers’ lawsuit brought to light an independent audit conducted last fall showing Marshall has struggled to meet Title IX requirements for athletic participation opportunities for women. Smith cited the audit Wednesday, saying that eliminating women’s swimming “could potentially place our university outside the safe harbor framework of Title IX.”

Smith said that information was different than the advice it received entering the process. Wednesday’s decision also was influenced by the costs of a potentially lengthy lawsuit, he said.

Marshall will continue plans to add stunt as a varsity sport, Smith said.

Over the past year, a growing number of universities have added or dropped entire sports programs as dramatic changes roll through college athletics under a $2.8 billion NCAA settlement.



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Virginia’s Anna Moesch wins 1st career NCAA individual title

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Virginia’s Anna Moesch wins 1st career NCAA individual title


ATLANTA — Anna Moesch won the first NCAA individual title of her career in the 200-yard freestyle on Thursday night at the women’s swimming and diving championships to help Virginia add to its team lead.

Moesch’s time of 1:39.23 marked the second fastest performance in the event, just shy of Missy Franklin’s 11-year-old record.

Moesch also helped Virginia claim a third relay title in the competition with a 1:24.11 in the 200 freestyle. It was the fifth straight year Virginia won the event.

Virginia sits in first place with 249 points heading into the third day of the four-day competition. Texas is second with 183 points and Stanford third with 173.

Olympic gold medalist Torri Huske clocked a 48.49 to win the 100 butterfly for her third career national title. Huske edged Virginia’s Claire Curzan after finishing second last season. The top three swimmers finished under 50 seconds, with Huske’s Stanford teammate, Gigi Johnson, coming in fourth.

Bella Sims led wire-to-wire in the 400 IM for Michigan’s first individual NCAA title since Maggie MacNeil in 2021. It was also the first gold in the event by a Wolverine since Mindy Gehrs in 1993.

NC State’s Eneli Jefimova took the 100 breaststroke with the fastest time in program history.

Senior diver Chiara Pellacani defended her one-meter national title for Miami. Pellacani became the first diver to win multiple national titles in a Miami career since Brittany Viola (2008, 2011).



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FIFA clears Israeli settlement clubs but fines IFA over breaches

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FIFA clears Israeli settlement clubs but fines IFA over breaches


FIFA said Thursday that it would take no action on formal complaints by the Palestinian soccer federation in 2024 against its Israeli counterpart, including to suspend membership.

FIFA did, however, fine the Israel Football Association 150,000 Swiss francs ($190,000) on disciplinary charges relating to “discrimination and racist abuse,” plus “offensive behavior and violations of the principles of fair play.”

Palestinian soccer officials have long argued Israel violates FIFA statutes by letting teams from settlements in the West Bank play in the national league.

“FIFA should take no action given that, in the context of the interpretation of the relevant provisions of the FIFA Statutes, the final legal status of the West Bank remains an unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law,” the soccer body said.

“FIFA can’t solve geopolitical conflicts,” said Infantino, who presented U.S. President Donald Trump with a specially created peace prize at the World Cup draw in December.

“[B]ut we are committed to using the power of football and the FIFA World Cup to build bridges and promote peace as our thoughts are with those who are suffering as a consequence of the ongoing wars,” he said.

The disciplinary investigation of Israeli soccer also was opened 18 months ago in response to formal complaints by the Palestinian federation.

One third of the fine must be spent by Israeli officials, FIFA ruled, on “implementation of a comprehensive plan to ensure action against discrimination and to prevent repeated incidents.”

“The plan shall be approved by FIFA and shall focus on the following areas: reforms, protocols, monitoring, and educational campaigns in stadiums and on official channels for an entire season,” FIFA judges decided.

The judges said they “cannot remain indifferent to the broader human context in which football operates” and the sport “must remain a platform for peace, dialogue, and mutual respect.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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TCU backs up its tough talk, bounces Buckeyes in 1st round

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TCU backs up its tough talk, bounces Buckeyes in 1st round


GREENVILLE, S.C. — TCU wasn’t short on confidence for Thursday’s NCAA tournament opener against Ohio State, with forward David Punch setting the stage of the matchup by saying he believed the Horned Frogs would beat the Buckeyes “nine out of 10 times.”

That, forward Xavier Edmonds said, added a bit of pressure on the Horned Frogs to back up Punch’s prediction.

“His words were just a little bit misconstrued and a little twisted,” Edmonds said. “Still, we saw it, and we felt like we had to stand on it.”

Given Ohio State’s raucous comeback from a 15-point halftime deficit, it’s hard to say what might happen if these two played nine more times, but on Thursday, Punch and Edmonds delivered. Punch connected on a nifty pass to Edmonds in the paint with four seconds to go for a go-ahead layup, helping TCU advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament with a 66-64 victory.

TCU was dominant from beyond the arc in the first half, but a brutal shooting performance after the break allowed the Buckeyes to claw back into the game, taking a 51-50 lead with just over seven minutes to play.

With Edmonds in foul trouble, Punch put the Frogs on his back late, however, finishing the game with 16 points, 13 boards and a pair of assists, including the go-ahead dish to Edmonds.

Ohio State had one final shot at the win, but Bruce Thornton couldn’t find an open man near the basket and settled for a half-court heave that fell short.

The win ensured Punch’s boast proved accurate, but TCU wasn’t done delivering a message to Ohio State.

“We just felt like them as a Big Ten team, they just haven’t felt or seen a defense like ours,” said Edmonds, who finished with 16 points and eight boards. “Being in the Big 12, and the different level of physicality and intensity, we just wanted to go out there and show them what Big 12 basketball is about.”



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