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Brittney Pike to Transfer From Arkansas, Use Two Years of Eligibility at FGCU

After spending her first three years of eligibility competing for the University of Arkansas, Brittney Pike has announced she will be using her remaining year of eligibility, as well as her 5th year that was given to her by the NCAA due to Covid-19, to swim for Florida Gulf Coast University as a graduate transfer. Due to the fact that she is using her bonus year of eligibility granted to athletes due to the Covid-19 pandemic, any potential scholarship that she may receive will not count towards FGCU’s scholarship cap during next season. Pike is the latest member of a mass exodus of swimmers from the Arkansas program that has seen at least 15 women transfer to other universities.

SoOoooO incredibly grateful & excited to announce that I’ve decided to transfer to continue my academic & athletic career at Florida Gulf Coast University! Can’t wait for this next chapter with the best teammates & coaches! 4th & 5th year/masters degree here I come! 💚💙 #wingsup

During Pike’s three years with Arkansas, she swam primarily sprint freestyle. Her top times in the 50 and 100 free come from the 2020 Southeastern Conference Championships, where she touched 49th in the 50 free (23.37), 41st in the 100 free (50.78), and 38th in the 200 free (1:49.35).

In high school, Pike was a Texas 5A State Championship title winner as a senior in 2018. Representing Samuel V. Champion High School, Pike claimed the state title in the 100 free in a time of 51.59. That was over a second faster than she was in her junior year, when she took 4th in a time of 52.60.

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FGCU is coming off a season that saw them tie for the CCSA title alongside Liberty University. The school will be returning all of the top members of it’s sprint-free group, including all 3 of its finalists in the 50 and 4 finalists from the 100. Both events were led last year by Wiktoria Czarnecka.

When she arrives on campus this fall, Pike will be able to make an immediate impact on the program’s relays and in conference competition. With her best times, Pike would have been among FGCU’s top-4 swimmers in the 50 and 100 last year, and would have been the school’s top performer in the 200. She would have made the A-final of all three events at the CCSA Championships, with her time in the 200 being fast enough to have taken 2nd. Liberty swept the podium in that event last year, with all three girls set to return in the fall of 2021.

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Swimmer275
3 years ago

Old discussion, new news, the Arkansas swim and dive account has blocked any transfers out of the program on social media. Seems incredibly petty as well as indicative of a larger, unaddressed issue.

Bh Nelson
Reply to  Swimmer275
3 years ago

Yup that happened yesterday Not surprised They are grasping at straws and the remaining upperclassmen have been told to post “happy” things on social media.

Mnswim
3 years ago

Congratulations! What a perfect fit! 😁

Bhnelson
Reply to  Mnswim
3 years ago

Congrats to Brittney! Arkansas’ loss is FGCU’s gain!!

ACC fan
3 years ago

Does Arkansas have anyone left on the team? It seems like there have been tons of transfers.

Mark Torres
Reply to  ACC fan
3 years ago

Would someone compile an updated roster? That would be interesting!

Mark Torres
Reply to  Mark Torres
3 years ago

New roster is out. Swim and dive 13 total athletes vs last year almost 30!

Last edited 3 years ago by Mark Torres
Bhnelson
Reply to  ACC fan
3 years ago

12 left (upperclassmen) not counting the fall recruits or divers. They are still looking for a dive coach. 2 fall recruits have decommitted so fall. Believe all in the portal have found homes.

College Swimmer
Reply to  ACC fan
3 years ago

Why the mass exodus? This seems like a SwimSwam story unto itself, but all we have seen so far is the decommit/transfer announcements. Anyone have any idea what is going on there?

Bhnelson
Reply to  College Swimmer
3 years ago

There has been an internal investigation going on for months. Many of the athletes have given statements etc. They are doing a good job of keeping the details in house. Mental abuse.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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