Merrimack College to Add Men’s Swimming Team
Merrimack College announced last week that it is adding men’s swimming to its athletic offerings in 2027-28.
Men’s swimming was one of four squads added by the Division I college in Massachusetts as part of an athletics restructuring last week. It already has a women’s swim program.
Also added in the announcement were women’s flag football, acrobatics and tumbling and men’s rowing, in addition to a recent elevation from club to varsity for cheer. It’s the first New England institution in Division I to add varsity flag football for women.
It will bring the number of athletic varsity offerings to 33. Merrimack transitioned to Division I in 2023.
“Athletics is an important part of who we are at Merrimack,” Christopher E. Hopey, Ph.D., Merrimack College president said in an official statement. “It brings our community together, creates a powerful sense of pride and belonging, and provides our student-athletes with an experience that challenges them to pursue excellence in competition, in the classroom and in their lives. As Merrimack continues to grow, we want our athletics program to grow with it, creating opportunities for more students to be part of the Warrior community and building on the momentum we have established as a Division I institution.”
Prior to the additions, the school hired Erik Ripley as Director of Swimming and Diving in early October. That role will oversee men’s and women’s swimming.
The announcement coincides with what the college calls, “a period of significant facility enhancement at Merrimack” with “substantial investments in its athletic footprint.”
“We know the student-athlete experience at Merrimack College transforms lives in powerful and meaningful ways. It helps students become the best versions of themselves and develops leaders who make a difference in their communities,” athletic director Joe Foley said. “Warriors Rising is about extending that transformative experience to even more students while strengthening our commitment to providing every Merrimack student-athlete with an exceptional experience at the highest level.”
