Swimming & Diving Becomes Official RMAC Sport

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - July 16, 2008 - Both men's and women's swimming & diving have been officially added as Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) sports starting in the 2008-09 school year. The RMAC has not sponsored swimming & diving since it was discontinued as a conference sport in 1984.

"This is an exciting development for fans of the RMAC," said Commissioner J.R. Smith. "This move gives hundreds of student-athletes a chance to compete in the RMAC for a conference championship. This will also expose our league to new fans in different parts of the country. We are happy to have swimming back in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference," added Smith.

Six women's teams and four men's teams are set to compete this year, with the possibility of more schools being added.

RMAC women's swimming & diving will consist of the Colorado School of Mines, Mesa State College and the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Grand Canyon University (Phoenix, Ariz.), University of the Incarnate Word (San Antonio, Tex.), and the University of Texas of the Permian Basin (Odessa, Tex.) will be associate members of the RMAC in swimming & diving.

RMAC men's swimming & diving will have Colorado Mines, Grand Canyon, Incarnate Word and Texas-Permian Basin.

The 2009 RMAC Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving Championships will be February 19-21 at the Josh Davis Natatorium in San Antonio. Incarnate Word will be the host school.

Prior to this year, Colorado Mines, Mesa State and Nebraska-Kearney have been competing in the North Central Conference in swimming and diving. The NCC has been dispanded.

With Swimming & Diving, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference now sponsors 21 sports. Only three of the other 22 NCAA Division II conferences have more sports.

Past RMAC Men's Swimming & Diving Champions:
1984 - Colorado Mines
1983 - Colorado Mines
1982 - Colorado Mines
1981 - Colorado Mines
1980 - Western State
1979 - Colorado Mines
1978 - Colorado Mines
1977 - Western State
1976 - Western State
1975 - Western State
1974 - Western State
1973 - Western State

Past RMAC Women's Swimming & Diving Champions:
1984 - Western State
1983 - Colorado Mines
1982 - Western State
1981 - Western State