Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) has terminated its lease with Holy Cross School for the usage of its eight-lane pool, effective April 21, 2026. This development leaves the Holy Cross swim program searching for new facilities and impacts area school swim meets, forcing them to seek alternatives outside the New Orleans metro area.
Holy Cross coaches and community members were notified in January 2026 that the contract would end seven years early. SUNO cited increasing needs of students, both academic and non-academic, as the primary reason for terminating the lease. Following the termination, Holy Cross was surprised to find the pool locked, underscoring the sudden impact of the decision.
The Gentilly area’s SUNO campus had been a hub for local swim meets, drawing hundreds of participants annually. The loss of the pool compels Holy Cross to consider venues in places like St. James and potentially Baton Rouge, as they scramble to keep the program afloat.
Southern University’s termination of the lease involves key community and operational considerations. These include the potential precedence it sets for similar institutional decisions affecting non-academic tenants on university properties across New Orleans.
The disruption of Holy Cross’s swim activities poses measurable community impacts, notably the loss of local event demand that typically supports hospitality and transportation industries during school-level competitions. As of now, Holy Cross is looking to renegotiate terms or secure a new venue, though no specific timeline has been established for these efforts.
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