SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers if the Division I Swim & Dive Committee should follow through on moving the NCAA Championships into April:
Question: Should the NCAA Championships be pushed into April?
RESULTS
- No – 65.4%
- Indifferent – 19.7%
- Yes – 14.9%
The Division I Swim & Dive Committee has not formally proposed that the NCAA Championships get moved into April, but they are currently discussing the possibility.
Although if it ends up coming to fruition we won’t see any changes until 2027, it does beg the question as to whether or not this is something the fans (and the athletes want to see).
The reasoning for the potential change, according to the minutes from the committee’s meeting in August, is so the championships avoid the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, March Madness, though many are questioning whether the two have much of an overlapping fanbase.
As it currently stands, the women’s championships begin on the third Thursday in March (starting on Wednesday night) and run through Saturday, while the men’s meet takes place the following week. The change would see the women’s meet beginning on the Wednesday following the first Sunday in April.
The date change would push the meet into the international (and domestic) long course season, and would alter how team’s approach the championship season with certain conferences traditionally accustomed to having a certain 2-4 week window between their conference meet and NCAAs.
The majority of readers, 65.4 percent, do not want to see the NCAA Championships take place in April, while a further 19.7 percent are indifferent.
In reality, it would only shift back a few weeks (if it was implemented this coming season, the meets would be two weeks later), but it is significant that this is a change only 15 percent of people will welcome.
On top of international meet conflicts and NCAA taper schedules, some suggest the April period is a reset period for swimmers as they gear up for final exams after the most pressure-packed meet of the year (unless it’s an Olympic year), and this date change would negate that break.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: How many members of the 2023 U.S. World Junior team will make the 2024 Olympic roster?
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ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE
The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
This is a bad idea from an academic perspective. Swimming is already a very long season against the academic calendar, and as it stands there is very little “down” time outside of the swim season. For swimmers that take academics seriously this would make end of the year exams, assignments, and theses additionally difficult.
What is your point? This is DI swimming! If people want to study, become bookworms and live dull lives, then keep it as it is. If however swimmers want to swim fast – Move NCAAS to April and forget about the academics!
If they are going to make any changes they should change from SCY to SCM permanently.
Swimmers would swim so much faster in April compared to march. Almost all swimmers that are actually able to compete want the push back as they know they can go faster with extra taper and not double tapers. The sport needs to grow and this could be an opportunity
Like NCAA are gonna listen to the swimswam poll🤣
Definitely should be moved to April after March Madness. No brainer. They may not share the same fan base but it would allow the NCAA Championships to get more media attention and most likely broadcast on a major network like ESPN, which would help raise more national awareness of the sport of swimming. David Marsh has been pushing for this for years and I have to agree with him on this one. The 65% down voters must all be women’s softball fans who would hate to see swimming cut into their air time!
The 65% down voters are the ones who know swimming success and popularity is driven entirely by the Olympic games, and this decision has the potential to seriously harm the performances of NCAA athletes at Olympic trials.