OLLEGE ATHLETICS
SWCC dropping sports
The men’s basketball team at Southwest Virginia Community College is scheduled to open the regular season on Saturday at home against Johnston Community College.
That will also signal the beginning of the end in what will be a farewell tour for the program.
The college located in Cedar Bluff announced on Thursday it was discontinuing its athletic department at the conclusion of the 2025-26 school year.
“This decision follows a comprehensive review of resources, student participation, and the long-term feasibility of maintaining collegiate athletics at the College,” SWCC officials wrote in a press release.
Southwest Virginia Community College has had an on-again, off-again history with athletics and reinstated sports teams amid much fanfare in July 2018.
Baseball, men’s basketball, golf, men’s soccer, women’s basketball, softball and volleyball were offered for the current school year. Wrestling and women’s soccer were among those sports previously sponsored by the school.
The women’s basketball team has been the most successful program at the school – an 85-52 record since being rebooted – while many of the other teams for the Flying Eagles struggled for victories and experienced a high level of turnover in terms of coaches.
SWCC did allow many local athletes to continue their athletic careers as the rosters heavily featured kids from area high schools.
Perhaps the most notable recent alum was Eastside High School graduate Cole Harness, who played baseball at SWCC before embarking on a record-setting career at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. He also played professionally in the independent Pecos League.
Paige Niethammer (Emory & Henry) and Maddie Day (Bluefield University) played women’s basketball at SWCC and are now on the rosters of four-year schools.