Division III swimming and diving powerhouse Denison will add another aquatic sport to the varsity level, adding women’s water polo for the 2026-2027 season. The team will compete during the upcoming 2025-2026 season at the club level.
Tim Sherwood will start the team from the ground up this upcoming fall. Sherwood arrives from Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania where he spent the last three years as an assistant coach. St. Francis competed at the Division I level but will reclassify to Division III after the 2025-2026 academic year.
“Denison has the resources and pedigree to support a national championship caliber water polo program, and I’m excited to get started,” Sherwood said. “As a former Division III athlete myself, I deeply value the mission of Denison, and I hope to build a program that will be successful not only in the water, but in the classroom and on the campus at large.”
Sherwood was a player-coach while at Grinnell College in Iowa. There he was a four-time collegiate club All-America selection. He also earned the Heartland Division Coach of the Year award in 2015.
The women’s water polo team at Denison will join the Collegiate Water Polo Association. The Collegiate Water Polo Association is home to nine Division III teams for the 2025-2026 season.
The addition of women’s water polo brings Denison to 27 varsity sports. The team will practice out of Trumbull Aquatics Center, which is also home to the school’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs. Trumbull Aquatics Center opened in fall 2012 and is a 50 meter by 25 yard pool. The facility also has a separate diving well.
The Denison men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs are some of the best at the Division III level. The men’s program captured the 2025 NCAA team title while the women were 4th overall. The women were 2nd at 2024 NCAAs while the men finished 6th at the same meet. Overall, the men have finished in the top 10 at NCAAs in every season since 1983 while the women have been in the top 10 in every season since 1986.
Hope Gregg and co is ready to share pool time!
Considering Denision used only to have six lanes at the Gregory pool– it was not that long ago, I am sure they will find a way. Congrats, Denison, and I hope they have a great year.
I competed against Grinnell water polo in 2015, I must have seen Tim Sherwood.
It’s good to see colleges adding sports.