Walsh University adds men’s and women’s swimming and diving for 2026-2027 school year

Walsh University has announced that in the 2026-2027 school year, it will begin offering swimming and diving teams for both men and women, which will compete in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The expansion is in line with the university’s 30 by 30 initiative, which seeks to have the university offering 30 athletic programs by the year 2030.

According to an article on Walsh University’s website, Christina Paone, who serves as the Vice President for Athletics and the Athletic Director, was quoted as saying of the new athletic programs, “Adding swimming and diving is a forward-thinking investment in our students’ futures. Through sport, our scholar-athletes learn to lead with integrity, adapt to adversity, and work collaboratively—skills that last a lifetime and set them apart in the workforce. Our mission is to develop servant leaders, and athletics is one of our most powerful tools.”

Walsh University is committed to treating its athletic programs as a “leadership laboratory” that instills student athletes with the types of skills that their future employers will be looking for, like resilience, communication, and honesty. Walsh’s 800 student athletes are comprehensively treated via a partnership with Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital Sports Medicine.

The new swimming and diving teams will participate in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, which partners with the Mountain East.

For more information about Walsh University, visit the school’s website.