ERLANGER, Ky. — Northern Kentucky University is expanding its Division 1 athletic program to include six new sports. That includes men and women’s swimming, both of which will start next year.
Local athletes who compete in those sports now have a new option to consider.
Reese Yauger has a lot more perspective than what one might get out of an average high school junior. The countless hours she spends in the pool might have something to do with that.
“I like the hard work you have to put into the sport,” Yauger said. “If you get great results, it’s such an amazing feeling. And it makes you want to continue to work harder.”
Her team, the Northern Kentucky Clippers, has a reputation as one of the more serious swim clubs in the region.
“It’s about as serious as you can imagine. I mean, our top group is training 20 to 24 hours per week,” said head coach David Pursley. “I mean, it’s got to be the hardest sport there is. There are not many high school programs across any sports that are training near the hours we put in.”
He’s had swimmers swim at D1 colleges, and even in Olympic trials. Those are goals Yauger has been butterfly stroking toward since she was a little girl.
“A big goal for me would definitely be to have an Olympic trial cut by March 2024, so get it before the next Olympic trials. It’s a far reach, but I think I could probably do it,” she said. “I’ve been talking to a couple schools for sure. Swimming in college is definitely something I want to do.”
For a lot of local swimmers, though, swimming at power house programs like those at the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville isn’t an option, and there aren’t a lot of other great mid-major D1 options, Pursley said.
“Some of them don’t get that opportunity to swim in college, because they don’t have the scholarships, and they might not have the funds to go out of state,” he said. “When they have the talent to swim in college, they might forgo it because there’s not a program fit for them.”
But now there’s a new option right in their backyard. Men’s and women’s swimming are among the six sports NKU announced it would add to its athletic program. In addition, the Norse has already begun expanding the track and field and spirit programs.
“Yes, it’s something I’ve talked about with my parents for sure. Because it obviously could be a possible option, depending on who they end up recruiting for next year, to see how good the team could possibly be,” Yauger said. “A lot of our really good swimmers that have graduated in the past from Clippers, they’ve gone to Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, pretty decently far places. So I feel like people who want to stay close to home. That’s very nice to have that as an option for sure.”
Yauger’s teammate, Andy Plieman, who is also a junior, now has a lot more to consider, too.
“I think they’re a D1 mid major or so, and that’s around where I want to be in college for swimming. It’ll be good, because it opens up a lot of competition and places for a lot of these club teams to go to,” Plieman said.
NKU expects the addition of the six sports will bring 250 new students to campus, joining the 250 student-athletes that already call NKU home.
“If they are looking for a Division 1 opportunity, without the sport program here at NKU, they likely wouldn’t be a student here. So now we get an opportunity to really see those students stay closer to home,” said NKU Athletic Director Christina Roybal.
Graduation is still a ways away for Yauger, but in her world things move quickly. For now, she’ll keep her options open. Becoming an Olympian isn’t so easy, but competing at home “Would definitely make things a lot easier,” she said.
The other four sports are men’s and women’s triathlon and womens’ stunt, which start in the 2024-2025 academic year. Men’s volleyball will start the following year.
Roybal said the first step is hiring head coaches. Search committees will be formed with the goals of hiring coaches for stunt and triathlon in January, a swim coach in February and men’s volleyball in July. Then NKU will begin recruiting students.
As for future sports, Roybal said the university will have its hands full in the immediate future with the new sports. She said football was considered, but that it wasn’t the right time.