This November’s showdown between a Big Ten conference all-star team and members of the U.S. National Team will follow a similar format to the international Duel in the Pool event.
USA Swimming announced some major details in a press release today:
Scoring System:
Individual events:
- 1st: 5 points
- 2nd: 3 points
- 3rd: 1 points
Relays:
- Winner takes all – 7 points
The 30-event lineup will allow swimmers on each side to enter up to 6 total events.
Teams will be selected later this fall.
Meet organizers have previously confirmed with SwimSwam that the event will be swum in short course yards.
The full USA Swimming press release is below:
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Members of the USA Swimming National Team will square off against collegiate swimming stars from the Big Ten Conference in the inaugural USA College Challenge, Presented by arena, USA Swimming announced today.
The short-course yards dual meet is slated for Nov. 12-13 at the Indiana University Natatorium on the campus of IUPUI in downtown Indianapolis.
“The USA College Challenge, Presented by arena, will be an exciting competition for swimmers and fans alike,” said USA Swimming National Team Director Frank Busch. “As you saw this summer, collegiate swimming is a key pipeline for our National Team, and this event will showcase college and Olympic-caliber swimming at its best.”
“We are excited for the opportunity for our students to compete with world-class athletes and to continue the momentum from Rio,” said Big Ten Associate Commissioner for Sports Administration Wendy Fallen. “We embrace the important collaboration between USA Swimming and the Big Ten Conference as we prepare our students for leadership roles in and out of the pool.”
Ticket and television broadcast information will be available in the near future. Tickets can be purchased online beginning Oct. 1.
In a similar format to the successful Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool, a running score will be kept throughout the dual meet competition combining the points earned by both women and men. With 262 points available in 30 total events, the first team to 131.5 points will be the winner.
For individual events, each team will be permitted to enter up to four athletes. The top three athletes in each individual event will be permitted to score points for their team – 5 points for first place, 3 points for second and 1 point for third. Relay scoring is 7 points for a first-place finish and 0 points for second.
Each athlete may be entered in up to six events during the meet, including individual events and relays.
The Big Ten Conference produced a number of standouts for Team USA at this year’s Olympic Games, including Lilly King and Cody Miller of Indiana, Connor Jaeger of Michigan and David Plummer of Minnesota.
Current student-athletes at Big Ten institutions who are members of the USA Swimming National Team would represent the Big Ten Conference at the meet. Big Ten alumni would represent the National Team. Rosters for the USA College Challenge, Presented by arena, will be announced later this fall.
Michigan swept the men’s and women’s 2016 Big Ten Conference Championships. At the NCAA Championships, Indiana led the conference with a ninth-place finish on the men’s side and seventh-place finish for the women.
Why isn’t this in short course meters? Then we could compare apples to apples with the rest of the world
And when do the student athletes get a chance to study? Another one-sided ncaa/conference benefit
What exactly do you mean by “Another one-sided ncaa/conference benefit”?
BTW-there are guidelines in place to limit the number of days missed due to competition.
Nothing in this for the students. Did you wink when you wrote “guidelines”? Another lost weekend as training ramps up, recruiting hosting has consumed the fall, and finals approach.
No wink from me. No, there’s not much in this for the rank and file student. But swimming student-athletes may have a lot to gain. And the sport, which one can say may be under pressure as schools cut non-revenue programs, has a much needed “high profile”, opportunity.
From what I understand compliance departments need to sign off on competition days.
Furthermore- there are no hours limits at clubs, for children younger than 18 yo who pay for the right to be at that club. There are no hours limits for adults who may be chemistry whizzes or mathematics geniuses and are on full academic scholarships-no one pulls them from the classroom correct?
Let’s be honest. It should be the Texas team VS the world.
This I would pay to watch. Those guys can race in season too.
If each team brings their best swimmers, in what world is this a close dual meet?
I would assume that it is only going to be certain national teamers, not the A list stars like Dwyer and Adrian.