After Michael Phelps voices issues in USA Swimming, fans urge that declining NCAA swimming programs be saved

Days after Michael Phelps appealed to change USA Swimming's leadership, multiple swimming enthusiasts have raised their voices to save the declining NCAA swimming programs. Phelps recently penned a letter to USA Swimming and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, expressing his frustration.

After witnessing a drop in the US team's performance at the 2025 World Championships, Phelps and Ryan Lochte made their feelings known about the lack of leadership in USA Swimming. The latter shared a meme of a gravestone that had the inscription, 'IN LOVING MEMORY OF UNITED STATES SWIMMING 1980 – 2025 Aged 45. ‘They set the bar high – until they stopped reaching for it.’ engraved on it.

This was reshared by Michael Phelps, who wondered whether this was a 'wake-up call' for USA swimming. Amid this ongoing controversy, swimming insider Kyle Sockwell outlined his frustration about the declining scene of college swimming. Talking about the NCAA programs being cancelled and the budgets for the sport being reduced, he tweeted:

"We’re moving way too slowly when it comes to “righting the ship” that is College Swimming. The ship is sinking. We should’ve acted 25 years ago, but today is the best we’ve got now. Rosters and being slashed. Programs are being cut. Budgets are being reduced. Coaching staffs are shrinking. We need to start modernizing, quickly, if we want to retain any sliver of what we’ve become used to over the last few decades."

Here is the full tweet:

This garnered attention from multiple fans, who voiced their opinions about saving the declining NCAA swimming programs. One of the users on X highlighted how the sport is not receiving the right streaming platform, writing:

"I love swimming. I have never ever seen a college meet on TV just casually flipping channels. It’s so hard to get invested when idk how to watch."

Pointing fingers on news websites like ESPN and SwimSwam, one of the swimming enthusiasts wrote on X:

"What do you think can happen when companies like espn don’t care and the companies like swimswam have their own agendas?"

Along similar lines, another user showcased their frustration about the matter, writing:

"I think it's time to say it once again. Swimming is not a sport, it's an activity. Why? Swimming keeps punching itself in the face."

Michael Phelps takes a hit at the USA Swimming's interim CEO amid the controversy

Shortly after Michael Phelps voiced his concern about the required changes in the USA Swimming, the organization's interim CEO, Bob Vincent, shared his opinion about the American's criticism on behalf of the entire organization, stating that the timing of his comments was disappointing.

“We respect and value the opinions of Rowdy, Michael, Ryan, and all USA Swimming alums. We acknowledge that their comments come from a place of passion and genuine desire to see USA Swimming succeed. We are saddened and disappointed at the timing of the comments," Vincent expressed.

Clapping back to the CEO's comment, Phelps shared his response, highlighting the disrespect he had tolerated during his career.

“Maybe a false statement, because I know they didn’t reach out to Rowdy. They’ve shoved us out the door for years. Treated me like a piece of meat throughout my career. Hopefully, it changes someday,” Michael Phelps wrote.

Most recently, American swimmer Regan Smith made her feelings known about Michael Phelps' advocacy for changes in the leadership of the USA Swimming team.

About the author

An English Honors graduate, Nancy is a journalist at Sportskeeda covering US Olympic sports. She has a total experience of 4 years, having previously worked as a Marketing Executive for BYJU’S before finding her footing at SK.

To deliver the best content, Nancy keeps herself updated by reading as much as possible about the athletes and the sport, and believes that researching and trusting credible sources is the key to reporting ethical and accurate information.

Track and Field events particularly interest Nancy, and she is a fan of Allyson Felix. While she cherished each of her victories, her favorite Olympic moment happens to be the retired athlete’s 10th medal at the Games.

Nancy believes that covering the personal lives and training sessions of the Olympic athletes, and showcasing old podcasts or interviews would help bridge the coverage gap of the sport in its off season.

When away from her keyboard, Nancy spends most of her free time reading books. She also writes poems and plans on publishing a book.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar