Jurisprudence

A decision to discontinue the University of Arkansas men’s swim team denies team members an opportunity to participate in the Southeastern Conference simply because they are men, according to a suit filed in U.S. District Court by Razorback diver Tom Caruso.

The suit alleges that Athletic Director Frank Broyles said the SEC required Arkansas to have an equal number of men’s and women’s sports. The school fields men’s teams in nine sports and women’s teams in seven. Cutting men’s swimming and adding women’s volleyball would even the number.

The university has offered to reinstate the program if supporters can raise $450,000 from people not already contributing to other school sports programs.