The indoor pool sits inside the Physical Education Building at UTA. The indoor and outdoor pools are closed open for students to use during scheduled hours
File photo / The Shorthorn
UTA alumnus Cole Perrine has been swimming in the pools at the Physical Education Building since he was about 12 years old.
“My first experiences with UTA were on this pool. I wouldn’t have known about it if it weren’t for us going to swim there,” he said.
Now, after 15 years of using the pools, Perrine will have to find a new place to swim.
The demolition of the Physical Education Building and its indoor and outdoor pools has been part of the UTA Campus Master Plan since the UT System Board of Regents approved the updated plan in May 2025. The plan mentions various renovations and repairs over its 50-year lifespan.
The master plan calls for relocating the building to the east side of campus, south of College Park Center and having the new building act as a satellite recreation center and space for the Kinesiology department partially housed in the current building.
The removal of the current building is part of a proposal to significantly expand the south end of the Maverick Activities Center, where the PE Building and its outdoor pool are located, according to the plan.
Don Lange, assistant vice president of the Office of Facilities Management, said in an email that part of the decision to close the pools was due to the age of equipment such as pumps, filters and chlorination equipment. General maintenance to keep the water chemistry safe for swimming became challenging, he said. Part of the decision also came from the proposal in the master plan to remove the building entirely.
Biochemistry sophomore Ravi Raythattha started a petition to save the pool in October, not expecting it to get over 1,000 signatures, he said.
“This petition is to show that there’s people that still want to use it and that still support the pool here,” Raythattha said.
Brian Dangelmaier, MARS Swimming head coach and program director, said he has used the pool in some form or another every day since 1989.
While MARS Swimming has two other practice locations, in the Grapevine-Colleyville Swim Center and Nolan Catholic High School natatorium, UTA’s pools were considered the club’s home, Dangelmaier said.
Apart from club practices, the group has also hosted water safety and swimming lessons for the community, something that might not continue.
“It’s kind of a life-saving skill that everybody needs to have,” he said. “I don’t know where they’re going to get that.”
Raythattha shared a similar sentiment, noting how swimming is good for everyone, young or old, experienced or beginner.
“Losing the pool, it’s not going to have a good effect,” he said. “People won’t be able to swim. It’ll be harder for people to find places to swim.”
The club uses the PE Building pools as part of a contract with UTA. In January, Dangelmaier was told the indoor pool was closing and the contract was being shortened to May, and his classes for spring 2026 were canceled, he said.
“No university in this country, certainly not a tier 1 research institution, doesn’t have a pool,” he said. “That’s extraordinarily disappointing.”
Dangelmaier said the club will have to adjust and find a new location to partner with.
Raythattha said the team is swimming at the East Library and Recreation Center while looking for alternatives that are not costly.
Perrine, who is part of a swimming team set to compete in Sharkfest Swim in August, said the next best location for his team to practice in is the Mansfield YMCA, turning his five-minute drive into a half-hour drive.
For him, the pools were more than just a location to practice in; they were the start of lifelong friendships.
“One of my best friends in the world, I was one of his groomsmen at his wedding,” Perrine said. “We met in that pool.”
The outdoor pool sits at the Physical Education Building on March 1. On Feb. 12, UTA announced the demolition of the Physical Education Building.
Perrine’s biggest concern, he said, is that there will be no replacement pool.
“I would just like a commitment of a new pool. It’s a good thing to have,” he said. “This campus should have a pool.”
The master plan mentions that the extension of the Maverick Activities Center could add court space, multipurpose rooms, weights and fitness and an indoor pool, but it has not been confirmed whether that is still the plan.
For Perrine, the pool was a staple and a constant in his life growing up, something he will have a hard time parting with.
“I was probably nothing short of devastating, honestly, especially because I’m a nostalgic person, so I like to keep a lot of the same things in my life,” he said. “One of the things that’s been a consistent part of my life is that pool.”
Perrine said he could understand if the decision was made due to maintenance problems but wished the university was more transparent and asked for input before coming to a final decision.
“If it’s just about age and appearance and stuff, I think the charm of the building is worth a lot more than having a shiny new workout facility,” he said.
For many, the value the pools brought to the surrounding community outweighed maintenance issues that were felt by the pool’s users.
Dangelmaier, who did basic maintenance checks on the pools every day, said although he knew of some small structural leaks the pool had, it was largely repaired and he did not experience any issues with the pools.
“In my experience on a daily basis there, everything seems to work just fine,” Dangelmaier said.
Perrine and Raythattha both said they didn’t notice any issues that majorly affected the swimming in the pools.
“This is just a service, and particularly in the case of a university, this is a service that’s to the students and the faculty and then collaboration with the community,” Dangelmaier said.
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