The SEC has released updated championship requirements for a number of sports, including swimming, which includes a major change in hosting requirements.
The SEC will now require natatoriums to have capacity for 1,200 spectators to host the conference’s championships meet, which often draws almost as much demand for tickets as the NCAA Championship meet does.
The old requirements needed 1,000 seats. The changes eliminate Auburn, Texas A&M, and Florida from the letter of the requirement based on public capacities, though they may be able to creatively-expand their capacities to meet the demand.
This leaves at least three current schools eligible to host based on their published capacities (and other requirements, like diving), plus the University of Texas when they join for the 2024-2025 season. The conference has allocated next year’s championship to Auburn, and future hosting sites and a potential new rotation are expected to be among the topics of discussion.
Georgia, Tennessee, and Missouri all list capacities of over 1,200, though there is some dispute whether Missouri can legitimately fit that many spectators.
Texas’ pool seats up to 1,800 spectators off-deck.
SEC Facility Size
| Capacity | Last hosted | Notes | |
| Vanderbilt | 2,500 | 1969 (men) |
Centennial Sportsplex – public facility – includes athlete seating – no diving
|
| Georgia | 2000 | 2019 (men) | “Almost 2000” |
| Tennessee | 1800 | 2022 (both) | |
| Missouri | 1500 | 2021 (men) | |
| Arkansas | 1500 | 2002 (both) |
Includes swimmer seating
|
| South Carolina | 1200 | 1995 (both) |
Includes 800 permanent, 400 movable. No 10-meter platform
|
| Texas A&M | 1100 | 2023 (both) | |
| Florida | 1005 | 2011 (both) | |
| Auburn | 1000 | 2020 (both) | |
| Alabama | Estimate 600-700 | 2008 (both) |
No official listing found
|
| Kentucky | 500 | 2007 (both) | |
| LSU | estimated 400 | 1986 (men) |
2,200 are listed, but that is likely the original capacity from the Olympic Festival in the late 1980s
|
Numbers are based on the publicly-listed number, which isn’t always the same as the reality.
LSU, South Carolina, and Arkansas aren’t believed to have interest in hosting, and other schools have been eliminated from hosting because of other requirements.
Florida was previously not part of the hosting rotation because their fastest course set-up was at the diving end of the pool, meaning that diving and swimming could not be held simultaneously, and because there is only one seating-stand – which when invaded by athletes didn’t leave enough room for spectators.
South Carolina does not have a 10-meter diving tower.
The Centennial Sportsplex also doesn’t have diving. It was not the host for Vanderbilt’s lone SEC Championship hosting in 1969, as it didn’t open until 1990.
Future Scheduling Plans
The SEC also announced future scheduling plans for several sports. For swimming, that includes continuing the same 5-day championship format. The regular season format will see the conference office appoint two dual-meet opponents for each program each season, leaving the programs to schedule the dates and times of those meets.
The headline-making changes came in track & field, gymnastics, and volleyball. Track & field will expand their indoor championship from two days to three days, gymnastics will moe from one day to two days (amid an explosion in popularity), and volleyball will reinstate a conference tournament for the first time since 2005.
Missouri’s ego can seat 1200. The Natatorium itself. Not a chance
I like the change. Now they need to change NCAA Championships to at least seat 2,000
I was at this most recent SECs and one whole section of the stands was nearly empty the entire meet
I kind of have the same thoughts. I’ve been to many SEC’s and never thought the arenas could use more seating.
But alas, I guess it’s time to either renovate or replace Martin Aquatics Center.
Hi Florida admin, the alumni all want a new pool, looks like we need at least 1200 seats!!
does this mean auburn can’t host SECs next year?
No, they’ll still be able to host next year – rules apply to future hosting awards.
South Carolina is inaccurate. They can not host a meet with more than 400 swimmers on deck. Much less 1200 people in their stands.
This is correct, although I highly doubt they could get 400 swimmers on deck if they wanted to. Much of the bleacher seating for athletes is clustered around the far end of the long course pool, so it would not be the right setup for a championship-style meet.
They’ve been trying to push club meets away for years. The reason given was always the “safety of the athletes” and having too many bodies was a “fire hazard” despite the numerous exits at the open-air facility on ground level. Back before our long course state champs was split out to senior/AG, they had to have separate sessions for open, 13-14, 11-12, and 10u. Coaches would be running on fumes by… Read more »