(Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

These twins were college divers. Then new NCAA rules changed everything.

Nick took to diving first. When Noah followed, it turned out their twin thing worked in midair. 

When it was time to pick schools, they considered committing to Alabama together. Instead, for the first time, they went their separate ways. Nick chose Virginia. Noah went with North Carolina State. They were freshmen this past year, quite literally getting their feet wet. Diving was both their passion and their community, a way to grow and make friends, the most reliable thing they had.

Well, until it wasn’t anymore.

In March, coaches informed Nick and his teammates that Virginia was suspending its diving program for the foreseeable future. Five days later, N.C. State slimmed its swimming and diving roster down to one diver. Noah was cut. 

But as the twins deal with the fallout of Virginia’s and N.C. State’s decisions, athletes around the country are in a similar type of scramble.

There is a common thread between many of their situations. And, naturally, it has to do with money.