By Gold Medal Mel Stewart on SwimSwam
The 2026 NCAA Division I Swimming & Diving Championships will very look different. The CSCAA’s proposed format changes have stirred debate across the sport, and veteran coach Brian Schrader has stepped forward publicly to say he does not support them.
On the GMM Podcast, I sat down with Coach Schrader to talk through his concerns:
why he believes the changes could alter the competitive fabric of NCAA swimming how they may affect athletes and programs across the country and what the broader implications could be for the future of the championship meetSchrader is not a casual observer. He’s spent more than three decades on the NCAA DI deck, watching the sport evolve from multiple vantage points, assistant coach, head coach, program builder, and now associate head coach at one of the nation’s largest athletic departments. His perspective carries the weight of experience and the clarity of someone who has lived inside the system.
Coach Schrader agreed to come on the GMM podcast, but stipulated that he would be speaking for himself and not Ohio State University. He’s commenting as a veteran DI coach who also has deep experience in swimming governance. Schrader has served as a USA Swimming committee liaison with Steering, the Athletes’ Executive Committee, and Open Water. He’s served on the ISCA Board, the CSCAA Executive Board, and most recently on the USA Swimming Coaches Advisory Committee.
If I missed any questions, drop them in the comments.
SEE COACH BRIAN SCHRADER‘S FULL STATEMENT POSTED TO INSTAGRAM FEB 16TH:
To My Division I Peers & ColleaguesAs we approach championship season, I want to share my perspective on the changes recommended and advocated for by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) that have significantly affected our Division I NCAA Championship meet and many of our conference championships. In my opinion, these changes have not served our coaches or our student-athletes well.
These views are entirely my own. I do not speak on behalf of any team or organization.
Over the course of my career, I have been fortunate to coach at every level of Division I athletics. I have been part of three NCAA Championship teams (2x Texas Men, 1x Georgia Women) and 22 Division I conference championship teams (SEC, Big Ten, Summit League, Sun Belt, and Southwest Conference). I have coached within “have” programs and “have-not” programs, and I built one of the top mid-major programs in the country at the University of Denver.
My governance experience has also been extensive. I worked five years with USA National Teams, serving as committee liaison with Steering, the Athletes’ Executive Committee, and Open Water. I have served on the ISCA Board, the CSCAA Executive Board (Secretary), and most recently the USA Swimming Coaches Advisory Committee. I have supported change when it strengthens our sport. I do not support change that diminishes opportunity or excellence.
As a former mid-major head coach who qualified and scored athletes – including rare relay invites – I believe the “golden ticket” approach overreaches.
It feels like a policy influenced disproportionately by mid-major interests at the expense of competitive integrity.
True opportunity comes from recruiting, development, and performance – not from diluted qualification standards.
These Decisions Were Made Without Adequate Consultation, With Questionable Timing, and Poor Leadership.
• Format and qualifying changes were implemented without a secured television contract. Why concede so much without guaranteed return?
• The narrative that coaches were fully consulted does not align with what many experienced. Membership dues should guarantee representation — not require convention attendance to have a voice.
• Several Power 4 coaches have expressed feeling blindsided.
• These changes came amid COVID recovery, NIL adjustments, and roster reductions — a time when stability was essential.
The Division I NCAA Championships Used to Be the Most Elite Event to Qualify for in the World. NOW IT IS NOT.
• Qualification should not be about participation; it should be about performance.
• The new qualifying procedures have reduced the field and left faster athletes at home.
• Swimming has always been simple: the fastest athletes go. Period.
• We are not basketball seeking “Cinderella” stories.
• We are not track and field with fundamentally different qualification structures.
• Eliminating B finals removes critical competitive opportunity — especially for the rare and hard-earned mid-major qualifier.
The Loss of Opportunities is Catastrophic. More Than 50% of Athlete Opportunities Were Lost With the Elimination of B Finals.
• B finals created some of the most meaningful developmental moments in collegiate swimming — athletes learning to perform at night, to compete under pressure, to move up.
• Many of our current and former national team athletes began their elite trajectory through those finals swims.
• Removing these races diminishes elite development.
• It also removes energy and engagement from finals sessions. Teams without swims may disengage. The competitive atmosphere will suffer.
• Most NCAA legislation allows a year for adjustment. These changes were implemented immediately, forcing mid-season alterations to invites and conference meets.
This is Not How Championship Preparation Should be Managed.
The CSCAA Must Be Held Accountable
• Lost opportunities will not return.
• Power 4 programs are not being adequately represented.
Membership dues are being directed toward new event formats and hand-picked teams in ways many members did not authorize.• Advocacy efforts outside the sport’s direct governance have produced little tangible benefit for membership.
• Governance conflicts of interest must be addressed. No credible nonprofit or corporate organization would allow structural conflicts at the executive level to persist unchecked.
Change is Needed—Not at Our Championships, But With Leadership.
Our full-time executive structure has failed to protect athlete opportunity and competitive excellence. Accountability must come before further damage is done.
Our sport has always been about clarity, performance, and integrity. We owe our athletes nothing less.
—Coach Brian Schrader
Follow Coach Brian Schrader on Instagram here.
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Many thanks to Swimoutlet.com for their 14 year partnership and support of this swimming news and media.
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This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.
Opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the interviewed guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the hosts, SwimSwam Partners, LLC and/or SwimSwam advertising partners.
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