ACC Champion and All-American Jack Hoagland Transferring to SMU for Grad School

Notre Dame All-American Jack Hoagland will be transferring to SMU to use his remaining two years of NCAA eligibility. Hoagland recently graduated from Notre Dame, where he spent all four years of his undergrad. Hoagland took a redshirt for the 2021-2022 season, which leaves him with that year of eligibility, plus the fifth year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic, left.

SwimSwam reached out to Hoagland for comment on the decision to attend SMU. Here is Hoagland’s statement in full:

“I have decided to attend SMU for graduate school where I will be pursuing my MBA. I am filled with immense gratitude and want to express my deepest appreciation to everyone at Notre Dame, including the staff, alumni, and team, for their unwavering support and the countless opportunities they have provided me. As graduate of Notre Dame, I will always be a Golden Domer.  However, I am incredibly excited for the next two years as I embark on this new journey at SMU. I am confident we will work together to restore their record as one of the top teams in the country. With the guidance of Coach Greg, Coach Keith, and our talented team, there is no doubt that we will make a significant impact in the NCAA and create a resounding presence going forward.”

Hoagland will be in grad school in Dallas, likely pursuing either an MBA or a master’s in finance, per prior correspondence SwimSwam has had with him.

Hoagland entered the transfer portal in early May to explore his options for grad school. He marks a great addition to the Mustangs, as Hoagland was Notre Dame’s top NCAA scorer this past season. At the 2023 NCAA Championships, Hoagland took home a fifth-place finish in the 1650 free (14:38.68), tenth in the 500 free (4:12.49), and 12th in the 400 IM (3:40.82). He also won the 400 IM at the ACC Championships in February.

In his statement, Hoagland referred to restoring SMU’s record as one of the top teams in the country. Though the NCAA has changed a lot in recent decades and while SMU is currently in the AAC, where you wouldn’t necessarily expect to find one of the top NCAA swimming and diving programs, for a long time SMU was one of the highest performing men’s swim and dive teams in the country. From 1956-1999, the Mustangs scored at every single men’s NCAA Championships, and did so again from 2001-2011. They’ve produced 29 NCAA champions, 24 of which were individual titles. That includes Steve Lundquist, who swept the 100 breast during his four years at SMU, winning the event in 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1983.

SMU has already seen a bit of a resurgence in the past few years, momentum that is only set to grow with the addition of Hoagland. At the 2022 NCAAs, the Mustangs qualified three swimmers and two divers to the meet and ended up coming in 34th as a team. Moreover, the addition of Hoagland creates a very strong 400 IM group in Dallas. This past season, Colin Feehery swam a 3:42.99 in the 400 IM, while Cotton Fields clocked a 3:45.60. Feehery has a personal best of 3:41.89, while Fields has been 3:43.34. That’s not to mention Angus Corbeau, who popped a lifetime best of 3:48.74 in the event last year as a sophomore. With all three of those swimmers set to return for this upcoming season, the Mustangs now add Hoagland, and his personal best of 3:40.73, to their roster.

Here is a list of Hoagland’s personal bests in his top events:

• 200 free – 1:33.58
• 500 free – 4:11.26
• 1650 free – 14:31.83
• 400 IM – 3:40.73