2026 Men’s NCAA Division I Championship: Day 3 Finals Preview

2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• Dates: Wednesday, March 25–Saturday, March 28
• Location: McAuley Aquatic Center, Atlanta, GA
• Defending Champions: Texas (1x)
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Psych Sheets
• Preview Index
• Live Stream
• Live Results
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2

Finals Heat Sheet

Tonight’s finals session has a few major storylines brewing, and it could be one of the most exciting two hours of swimming we have seen over the last two weeks.

The first thing to pay attention to tonight is the team battle between Texas and Florida. Coming into the meet, the Texas men were projected to win by more than 100 points, but a very strong showing from the Gators has seen the team race become incredibly tight, and the two teams are separated by just 10.5 points coming into this evening.

The evening will kick off with the 100 backstroke finals, where Texas senior Hubert Kos is the top seed after he set a new NCAA record in the prelims edition of the event, swimming 43.08 to take a little more than a tenth off his former NCAA record time of 43.20 from last year.

Tonight, he will be trying to become the first person in history to swim under 43 seconds in the event. Georgia’s Ruard van Renen and Indiana’s Owen McDonald are the only other swimmers who came in under 44 seconds in the prelims session. Texas junior Will Modglin will be swimming in lane two, after swimming 44.08 in the prelims. Modglin is the American Record holder in the event at 43.26 from November.

The 200 breaststroke will be the 2nd event of the evening, and the Texas men only have junior Nate Germonprez in the final with his 2nd qualifying time of 1:49.59. Germonprez was the top seed coming into the meet as the only swimmer who has been under 1:49 so he will be trying to dip back under that mark as he picks up his 1st ever individual NCAA title after he was 3rd in the 100 breaststroke last night.

UNC’s Ben Delmar was the top seed out of prelims after he had a massive four tenth drop to set a new lifetime best 1:49.37 to earn lane four tonight. Yamato Okadome, last night’s 100 breaststroke champion, will be aiming for his 2nd title of the meet as the 3rd seed with his 1:50.54.

The event of the night is shaping up to be the men’s 500 freestyle final, where we are on NCAA record watch as Texas junior Rex Maurer and Florida freshman Ahmed Jaouadi are competing for the top spot and chasing Leon Marchand‘s revolutionary 4:02.31 record from 2024.

Both men have won one individual title so far this meet and will be looking for their 2nd tonight. Jaouadi opened the meet with a new NCAA record in the men’s 1650, swimming 14:10.03 to take two seconds off Bobby Finke‘s former record time.

In the 400 IM last night, Rex Maurer put any doubts about an “off” season to rest with a new American Record in the event of 3:32.96. Maurer is the American Record holder in the 500 with the 4:04.45 he swam in November of 2024, and he is also the reigning NCAA Champion.

Tonight’s race is looking like it will be close and exciting as the two men will be in lanes four and five as they battle for the title.

The individual events will wrap up with the 50 free final where Tennessee’s Gui Caribe was the top qualifier in 18.39, but Florida’s Josh Liendo, who is fresh off a win and NCAA record in the 100 fly last night, is the favorite to win, picking up huge points for Florida.

There will be three ASU swimmers in the ‘A’ final with Ilya Kharun, Jonny Kulow, and Remi Fabiani qualifying 3rd, 4th, and 5th respectively.

Finally, the swimming will wrap up with the 400 medley relay finals, ASU is the top seed, just ahead of Texas in 2nd, and Florida in 3rd. The Sun Devils won the 200 medley on night one of the competition, but the team battle between the Longhorns and the Gators might see either team propel themselves into title position.

The backstroke legs could be a close race with Will Modglin, Jonny Marshall, and Adam Chaney swimming them for Texas, Florida, and ASU respectively. Marshall was a little off in the 100 backstroke prelims, and finished 17th overall in 44.90, more than a second off his lifetime best of 43.22 from last year’s NCAA Championships.

The breaststroke will see Nate Germonprez, Koen de Groot, and Andy Dobrzanski. Germonprez and de Groot were 3rd and 4th individually last night.

The fly legs have the potential to see some of the fastest splits in history as last night’s top three, Hubert Kos, Ilya Kharun, and Josh Liendo will take the water again to battle for the top spot.

ASU has the edge on freestyle with Remi Fabiani as their anchor leg. Camden Taylor and Alex Painter will swim the anchor for Texas and Florida, and, while Painter’s best time is nearly a second faster, Taylor has had some very strong relay splits that could make it close.