In 2001, UNL discontinued it's men's swimming/diving.  There is still a women's team, though.  They use to be really good.  In fact, they won 8 conference titles in the 90's, but haven't won one since ('90, '91, '94, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99).  Sounds like the football team eh?

The squad has not won any team national titles and has only one individual national champion, Penny Heynes (1996).  There have been 11 Olympians that have lettered at Nebraska, with the most recent being Therese Alshammar.

Therese Alshammar setting the world record in the 50m butterfly.

In the Big Ten, all eleven schools have Swimming/Diving teams.  At the end of the season this year,  seven schools were ranked (Indiana 12th, Minnesota 14th, Ohio State 15th, Michigan 16th, Wisconsin 17th, Penn State 21st, and Purdue 22nd).  To put this in perspective, only two Big XII schools were ranked, Texas (6th) and Texas A&M (7th).  Of course there are only six Big XII schools with a team.  Nebraska is going to have their work cut out for them in their new conference, but if they can rekindle some of the magic of the 90's they can be competitive in the Big Ten.  Having the Olympic swim trials in Omaha in 2008 and again in 2012 is suppose to have a positive influence for the Swimming/Diving team here in Nebraska.  We'll see if that pans out.