August 18, 2000

U. of Washington Makes Waves by Dropping a Women's Team

By WELCH SUGGS

In late July, Barbara Hedges did the unthinkable.

The athletics director at the University of Washington held a news conference to announce that the university would discontinue its swimming teams after the 2000-1 season.

Dropping a men's team isn't the unthinkable part. Colleges get rid of those every year, usually because of financial pressures and attempts to make their athletics programs look more woman-friendly.

But no university in Division

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