The teams are in the water, and the 2023-24 NCAA competition season is about to kick off in earnest. In honor of the first meets on the horizon, we’re taking a look at some of the pre-midseason invite meets across all three divisions that you should make sure to mark on your calendar.
We’ve tried to collect as much of the information that’s currently available about each meet, and we’ll be sure to keep you up to date with any new information, especially regarding live streams.
Obviously, this is just a snapshot of all the meets taking place in September and October, so feel free to let us know in the comments if there’s a meet we haven’t mentioned that you’re looking forward to.
September 22-23: Georgia vs. Arizona State
- Where: Mona Plummer Aquatic Center — Tempe, AZ
- When: Friday, September 22nd: 5pm (ET) Saturday, September 23rd: 12pm (ET)
- Who: Women’s & Men’s Teams
After a couple weeks of mainly intrasquad meets, Georgia vs. Arizona State is the first major Division I matchup this season. We’ll get our first look at the newly-minted world record holder Leon Marchand, who’s returned to college swimming with the aim of helping the Sun Devils to an NCAA title.
The Georgia men have an influx of returning fifth-years, but also added Ruard Van Renen, the top scoring mid-major swimmer at 2023 NCAAs, and Miles Simon, the 2023 NEC Swimmer of the Year. This meet will be their first for the Dawgs.
Last year, the first day of the meet featured off-event races like 150s of stroke and a 300-200-100 IM relay. Then, the second day shifted to a more traditional dual meet format. The Georgia women easily won both days last year while the men won Day 1 by 2 points, then lost Day 2 by 10 points.
October 7: Battle at the Burr–Georgetown vs. Howard
- Where: Burr Gym Pool — Washington, DC
- When: 2pm (ET)
- Who: Women’s & Men’s Teams
The biggest swim meet in HBCU history returns for the second year on October 7th and promises to be “double the fanfare and double the fun, complete with a DJ, dancers, celebrity appearances and a few surprises the team does not want to give away.” The Battle at the Burr made waves in the swimming world last year–it sold 2,000 tickets and changed what people thought was possible for at NCAA dual meet.
Last year, Georgetown won both the women’s and the men’s meets. On the men’s side, the meet came down to the final relay, and the Hoyas won by just 2 points. With Howard planning for more fans and more energy this year, it should be another great matchup as the Bison look to even the score.
October 6-7: SMU Classic
- Where: Robson & Lindley Aquatics Center — Dallas, TX
- When: TBA
- Who: Women’s and Men’s Teams from Louisville, Auburn, Missouri, USC, Miami, SMU
Some of the top teams in the country will once again converge in Dallas for the annual SMU Classic. It’s another meet with a unique format: teams are only allowed to bring 8 swimmers and 1 diver. There are 2 relays, 6 individual swimming events ,and 1 diving event occurring each day over the 2-day meet. A swimmer is limited to 3 events per day, and every swimmer must compete in at least 1 relay per day.
The SMU Classic usually produces some fast in-season times and it should this year as well, even without Texas in attendance. In particular, watch for what the Louisville women throw down. They’re returning 279 of their 288 NCAA points and will be looking to build on the momentum from their 4th place at 2023 NCAAs.
October 13: Virginia vs. Florida
- Where: O’Connell Center — Gainesville, FL
- When: 11am (ET)
- Who: Women’s and Men’s Teams
After a split result last season–UVA won the women’s meet, Florida the men’s–this year’s edition should feature more incredible matchups. That’s especially true on the women’s side, where Olympian Bella Sims and transfer Izzy Ivey compete in their first Power 5 dual meet for the Gators. Both boost a surging women’s team that captured it’s first SEC title since 2009 last year. Sims’ versatility gives Florida plenty of options for how they want to match up against a powerful Cavalier team led by the Walsh sisters.
October 27: McKendree vs. Indianapolis
- Where: Ruth Lily Fitness Center — Indianapolis, IN
- When: 1:30pm (ET)
- Who: Women’s & Men’s Teams
This is a big Division II matchup on the men’s side, as Indianapolis, the reigning NCAA champions, face off against the third-place McKendree men. Last year, the McKendree men upset Indianapolis, claiming the final relay to win the meet by 6 points. That effort was led by Jackson Lustig, who returns for his junior season as an NCAA champion in the 200 butterfly.
While we saw last year that this meet isn’t a predictor for who will win the national title in March, McKendree has made some interesting adds, including European Junior silver medallist Come Jaeglé, who could be what they need to contend against Indianapolis and Drury in the post-season. And if nothing else, their additions should make an already thrilling dual that much more exciting.
October 27-28: Virginia vs. Texas
- Where: Aquatic and Fitness Center — Charlottesville, VA
- When: TBA
- Who: Women’s & Men’s Teams
Virginia vs. Texas features great matchups on both the men’s and women’s sides, and part of what made this meet so exciting last year was that Texas went all in on promoting the meet. There was a light show, a mixed relay, a 100 IM, and even more that drew a big crowd.
They’ve promised that this year will be even better, including with more off-events (and hopefully a live stream). Last season, the Longhorns edged out UVA in a combined dual on Day 1 before a separately scored Day 2 saw Texas sweep the Cavaliers.
On the women’s side, we’ll see the #1 and #2 teams from 2023 NCAAs go head-to-head. One thing to keep in mind with this meet is that both teams have a number of athletes competing at the Pan American games from October 21-25, so they may not all race at this meet, but it should still be exciting from the matchups to the pageantry.
November 4: Kenyon vs. Denison
- Where: Trumbull Aquatics Center — Granville, OH
- When: 10am (ET)
- Who: Women’s & Men’s Teams
The Division III season kicks off later than either Division I or II, but we’ll get a great matchup fairly early in the season between Kenyon and Denison. The in-state rivals have battled it out dual meets, conferences, and national meets for years.
The rivalry is especially heated on the women’s side, as these teams won the last two Division III titles. Though the Kenyon women won this dual last season, the Denison women got the better of them both at NCACs and NCAAs, where the Big Red won their first national title in 22 years.
uindy just sweeped mckendree men 189-105 and women 202-91
Lindenwood vs Missouri state!
Love the addition of a D3 meet!! Last year’s NCAAs was a mixed emotions meet for the Big Red. Their men had the worst meet since the early 2000’s while the women dominated with a statement win. The Owls looked good across the board, but if I remember correctly, they had some top swimmers transfer out. Interested to see how this dual meet goes being earlier in the season than past years
Another early ASU meet worthy of note is the M/W 2-day affair with NC-State on October 20 & 21, 2023 @ ASU.
The ASU v Georgia meet is scheduled to be broadcast both days on the PAC 12 network
Notice no cal meets, wow, it’s almost like they’re so unenthusiastic about growing the foster through dual meets!
Does Leon go up against all the Georgia backstrokers or go the easy way to not get beat? Georgia doesn’t have any 2breastrokers or 2flyers I don’t think so swimming those events would be a cake walk and other Sun Devils can win those events!
Leon would still easily win the 200 back
I doubt Leon will swim backstroke as ASU has backstroke well covered with Hubert Kos and Owen McDonald, but likely swim IM, Fly, and brest
Hubert Kos is also on the ASU team and one can safely say he is an accomplished backstroker as the reigning World Champion in backstroke. Owen McDonald is the Sun Devils #2 backstroker and came in 5rd in the NCAA championships
Last year Leon swam the 200 Back first semester against Wisconsin and went 1:42.82, slightly faster than the Georgia men went in the ASU dual meet. Leon really chickened out in the Georgia meet winning the 200 fly at 1:43.21 instead, against a pre-injury Luca. Yeah. That proves he’s a real fraidy cat. He again swam a backstroke race in a 2nd semester dual, against Arizona where he went :44.77 in the 100, then #1 in the country. When there is objective information available I’d urge commenters to rely on it.
Agree Leon can swim excellent backstroke. Since Hubert Kos joined the team last January Kos has become the backstroker “extraordinaire” on the team.
He also split 22.9 in the back leg of the 200 IM.
Yeah, imagine thinking the guy who split 22.9 on his backstroke in his 2IM would lose to anyone racing for Georgia this year.