By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) has quickly taken action after the 2026 NCAA Championships.
After gathering feedback from coaches and stakeholders, the organization created a Division I NCAA Championship Working Group that has met twice (April 2, April 20) and put together a list of recommendations for both the 2027 NCAA Championships and the future (2028 and beyond).
The CSCAA said feedback is currently being collected from Power 4 coaches and Division I members, and the recommendations will also be shared with members of the NCAA and national governing bodies before the Working Group reconvenes next week to update the recommendations based on the feedback received.
2027 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP RECOMMENDATIONS
Restoring ‘B’ Finals
The number one thing coaches, swimmers and fans have been calling for since the NCAA Championships got underway last month was a return of the ‘B’ finals, and it looks like it will happen.
The Working Group is recommending that the consolation finals take place prior to the finals session and “be conducted efficiently and provide a meaningful experience that allows for high performance.”
Altering the Diving Format Within The Championship
As many respondents called for in the Google Form survey SwimSwam sent out to its readers, the diving format will be tweaked during the finals sessions at NCAAs.
The Working Group recommends having the first three rounds of diving run before the individual swimming events in the evening session, allowing the individual swimming races to run without interruption. They will be followed by the final round of diving, and then the fastest two heats of relays to close out the session.
Fastest Two Heats of Relays To Swim At Night
The Working Group recommends that the two fastest heats (top 16 seeded relays) swim during the evening session, rather than just the single fastest seeded heat, which we saw this past season.
Respondents were split on what to do with relays in the SwimSwam survey, but one thing nearly everyone agreed on was having more than just the fastest heat swim at night. Some called for having them all swim at night, some for returning to the prelims/finals format we saw prior to 2021, and though the relays seeded outside the top 16 will still have to swim in the prelim session, this is a positive step. It will also further incentivize teams to post quick relay times during the season in order to earn a top-16 seed.
Combine Wednesday into one finals session
Wednesday evening will return to a single finals session after we saw a prelim session for the first time this past season.
This means we’ll see all of the heats of the 1650 free, along with all of the 200 medley and 800 free relay heats, in a single session.
Revise Conference Qualifier Standards, Allow Bumped Out Swimmers In
The Working Group is recommending a revision of the NCAA Championship qualifying standards so that “no more than 10% of invited athletes enter through the conference qualifier pathway.”
The swimmers who lost a qualifying slot because of the new conference qualifier process will regain access to the NCAA Championships with institutional funding.
In the survey SwimSwam sent out, several respondents called for quicker time standards to lower the number of automatic qualifiers, and many people also wanted to see the swimmers who lost NCAA spots because of the new process to be allowed to compete, and this satisfies both.
Align with ESPN’s linear television requirements
The Working Group recommends that the CSCAA secure ESPN linear coverage for the 2027 NCAA Championships and beyond.
“Work with the NCAA, ESPN, and the host site to schedule the championships on the necessary and most advantageous dates, as determined by ESPN,” the recommendations said.
Review of Order of Events & Format
The Working Group didn’t delve into specifics regarding event order changes, but said: “Review the current order of events and, if needed, modify to support high performance while also meeting broadcast guidelines for approval.”
Invest in Storytelling and Production Strategy
The Working Group is calling for a revamped product on television of the NCAA Championships, using “storytelling to position swimming and diving as a stronger television product.”
“Prioritize athlete, coach, and team storylines; improve research for on-air talent; incorporate in-competition interviews; and engage institutions in season-long championship promotion,” the recommendations said.
SAMPLE 2027 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP DAY:
10:00 a.m. – Prelim Swimming: Ind. Swim Events & Relays seeded 17th or higher 1:00 p.m – Prelim Diving Finals: Consolation Finals *start time determined by broadcast Diving Finals Rounds 1-3 Individual Swimming Events Diving Finals Rounds 4-6 Relay (Heat 2, Heat 1)PLANS FOR 2028 AND BEYOND: COMBINED CHAMPIONSHIP
“The future of Division I swimming and diving must be shaped by more than format changes alone,” the Working Group said. “It requires a broader strategy to drive fiscal efficiency, elevate the championship experience for student-athletes, coaches, and fans, and position the sport for sustained success.”
The Working Group said it will develop a plan for a combined men’s and women’s championship format that “meets high performance demands and current media realities for approval by the NCAA Swimming & Diving Oversight Committee. ”
“With input from key stakeholder groups, this effort will strengthen the national championship as a premier stage for developing Team USA athletes and coaches while advancing the sport’s global competitive standing.”
In the SwimSwam survey, 51.3% of respondents supported a combined championship format with men and women competing at the same location on the same dates, while 32.2% disagreed (and the rest were neutral).
THE WORKING GROUP
The NCAA Championship Division I Working Group was comprised of nine Division I head coaches, all from Power 4 programs.
It’s worth noting that, when the initial championship changes were made last year, several concerns were raised that the decision-making group was disproportionately made up of mid-major representatives. That isn’t the case this go around.
In addition to the group members listed below, Greg Meehan, current USA Swimming National Team Director and former Stanford women’s head coach, joined the call on April 20.
CSCAA Division I NCAA Championship Working Group:
Arthur Albiero, University of Louisville Herbie Behm, Arizona State University Matt Crispino, Princeton University Todd DeSorbo, University of Virginia Dave Durden, University of California, Berkeley Braden Holloway, North Carolina State University Matt Kredich, University of Tennessee Ray Looze, University of Indiana Rachel Stratton-Mills, Northwestern UniversityRead the full story on SwimSwam: Restoring ‘B’ Finals, Relay & Diving Changes Among CSCAA Recommendations For 2027 NCAAs
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