By Sarah Turner, Sports editor 

On Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m., every student at University of Montevallo received an email that sent shockwaves through the athletic department. Alongside the long-anticipated announcement of degree program and minor closures, the university revealed it was considering eliminating the men’s and women’s swimming and tennis programs.

In the email, the university wrote “while much has been done across campus during the past year, critical decisions remain to improve the University’s financial position in this transition that will impact the institution for years to come,” ​​adding that recommendations had been submitted to the UM Board of Trustees after a review of enrollment data and rising costs. 

The athletes affected, however, had been informed only minutes earlier, behind closed doors, before the email reached the rest of campus. 

Stella Newton, a sophomore on the women’s swim team, said the team received a text message Wednesday night calling them to a meeting the following evening, with no explanation attached. 

“[The text] was kind of weird,” Newton said. “It didn’t have a lot of detail and was very vague, which is very unlike our coach to not let us in on what’s going on.” 

Newton said most of her teammates immediately feared the worst, though she tried to convince herself everything would be fine. The team attended practice as usual that day, but the mood was unmistakably different. 

Later, they walked together to the Student Activity Center conference room. 

“I will never forget walking down the hallway of all of the athletic offices and then into the conference room and seeing the counselors in the corner and the tissues on the table,” Newton said. “I knew exactly what was happening when I walked into the room.” 

Athletic director Mark Richard, associate athletic director Ed Langham and assistant athletic director Katie O’Brien soon entered and informed the team that their program was likely to be eliminated. 

“The moment [Richard] said the words, everyone around the room was sobbing,” Newton said. “He kept talking, but I don’t even know what he said. We were all in one big circle, looking at each other, holding hands, everyone was just crying.” 

The university said it would honor all athletic scholarships and provide resources for athletes who choose to remain at Montevallo, as well as assist those who wish to transfer if the programs are ultimately cut. 

After the swim team exited the room, it was time for the tennis teams to receive their news. 

Sophia Baillos, a junior on the women’s tennis team, said her experience closely mirrored Newton’s. Like the swimmers, the tennis players had no indication of what the meeting would entail. 

“From what we were aware, [the meeting] was to get us ready for our season,” Baillos said. “Except then we saw swim coming out when we were going in.” 

Both Newton and Baillos said the decision felt especially abrupt given assurances they had received just weeks earlier. Interim president Dr. Terry Roberson told student-athletes at a January Student-Athlete Advisory Committee meeting that no teams were at risk of being cut. 

“We didn’t think that was even a possibility for us,” Newton said. “It just kind of came out of nowhere.” 

The impact is compounded by the fact that many of the affected athletes are far from home. Of the 53 student-athletes across the swimming and tennis programs, only six are from Alabama, and 26 are international students. 

Timing has only added to the strain. The swim team is set to compete at the Conference Carolinas Championships from Feb. 18–21, while tennis was scheduled to open its spring season the following day, Feb. 13. 

“I looked at our assistant coach and I said, ‘How are we supposed to race next week?’” Newton said. “How am I supposed to get up on the blocks and be strong when this is happening?” 

After the meeting, the swim team leaned on one another for support and began discussing whether to speak at the upcoming public Board of Trustees meeting. 

“At first we were like, ‘What is that really going to do?’” Newton said. Although their coach had already spoken on their behalf, the team decided it might make a difference for board members to hear directly from the athletes affected. 

Five swimmers spoke at the meeting the following morning. 

“A lot of the speeches came from people who couldn’t fall asleep that night,” Newton said. “I think it did have a big impact to see the people they were voting on.” 

The tennis team’s first matches were postponed, but Baillos said they were unaware of the meeting or the opportunity to speak. 

“We didn’t know to come,” she said. “Otherwise, we would’ve been right there with them.” 

Ultimately, the Board of Trustees voted to delay a final decision on the program eliminations until May, extending the uncertainty for both teams. For tennis, the delay raises concerns about completing the season without jeopardizing eligibility. 

Baillos, who is now potentially transferring to her fourth school, said a lot of her teammates are in similar, difficult positions. 

“It’s very disappointing how the school handled it,” Baillos said. “A lot of opportunities were taken away, and it all happened within the span of a week.” 

According to Newton, a major factor behind the proposed elimination of swimming is the cost of repairing the pool in the Student Activity Center, an issue the team and coaching staff say they were unaware of the severity of the situation until now. The estimated cost to fix the pool could cost the program and the department up to $500,000. In response, the swimmers are exploring ways to generate revenue, such as charging local high schools for pool use and organizing fundraisers. 

“There’s just a lot of uncertainty,” Newton said. “But we’re trying to push and find ways to help keep the team.” 

As the swimmers prepare for their conference championships, Newton said the focus is on resilience and unity. 

“It’s honestly given us a lot of momentum as a team,” she said. “We’re racing for each other as a team and we’re going to be there for each other.” 

“We’ve let this be something that brings us together and we can push through and not something that tears us apart,” said Newton. 

Though the Board of Trustees postponed its decision until Friday, May 1, the uncertainty surrounding the programs continues to weigh heavily on the athletes. 

Still, both teams remain focused on supporting one another and competing with purpose, even as questions about their future at Montevallo remain unanswered.