NCAA Division I Championship Meets Will Switch Men’s, Women’s Weeks Every Other Year
The NCAA will change its Division I championship schedule in the future.
The women’s meet will continue to be a week before the men’s in odd years, but starting in 2028, the men’s meet will be first in even years.
The first NCAA championship weekend is the third Wednesday-Saturday in March, while the second weekend is the following week of the month.
Both meets will be in Austin, Texas, in 2027 and 2028.
The decision was released in the NCAA oversight committee meeting notes from July 30.
The decision brings some fairness to the different pros and cons of going first. The men traditionally have an extra week of training in most conferences, since many conference meets include the men and women together.
“The women … have historically had a tighter turnaround … Men’s qualified swimmers have had to train for a week without some of their coaches who are at the women’s championships. The women’s championships, by going first, can also experience some operational challenges that are worked out by the men’s championships,” The NCAA oversight committee wrote. “Lastly, should there be only one linear television opportunity available each year for swimming and diving, rotating the championships will provide each gender with a linear opportunity every other year. Rotating the gender order of the championships every other year will provide a more equitable experience to both genders.
Here are the order of events:
Day 1: 1,650 Freestyle, 200 Medley Relay and the 800 Freestyle Relay
Day 2: 200 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly, 1 Meter Diving and the 400 Freestyle Relay
Day 3: 500 Freestyle, 200 Individual Medley, 50 Freestyle, 3 Meter Diving and the 400 Medley Relay
Day 4: 100 Butterfly, 400 Individual Medley, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, Platform Diving and the 200 Freestyle Relay