Western Illinois has announced that the school will reinstate its men’s and women’s swimming teams and work on a restructuring of its athletics department to cut costs.

The institution announced last month that it had discontinued its the teams last month because of budget considerations.

The 23 student-athletes on the Western Illinois men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams in 2008-09 will continue competition at the Division I level for 2009-10. Western Illinois will begin a national search for a head coach immediately. Former coach Sean Raffile resigned in March.

“We are grateful for the Leatherneck swimming and diving family and the greater swimming community, who have provided input, assistance and financial support during this process,” said Athletics Director Tim Van Alstine. “It is very apparent, now more than ever, that the support for swimming and diving on a national scale is alive and well. Without that support we would not be able to continue our success in the pool and in the classroom.”

Western Illinois eliminated wrestling and field hockey in 1985, the last time the school cut athletics teams. Women’s soccer was added in 1997, and the women’s golf team began play in 2001.

“We will go back to the drawing board and continue to look for creative ways to fund a broad-based, gender-neutral department at a competitive Division I level,” Van Alstine said. “(The decision to cut swimming and diving) was certainly not an easy one, and I am very happy for our swimming and diving student-athletes today.”