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)
- Championship Central
- Pre-Cut Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Live Video
The pre-selection psych sheets are out for the 2026 Men’s NCAA Championships, and reigning champion Hubert Kos made the decision to drop the 200 IM from his lineup to focus on the 200 backstroke, which is now on the same day of the meet. He will race the 100 fly instead.
In 2025, Kos won both the 200 IM and the 200 back, setting a massive NCAA record in the 200 backstroke of 1:34.21, taking more than a second off Destin Lasco‘s previous NCAA record.
In October, the NCAA approved a new event lineup, focused on optimizing viewing, putting “high-profile” events on the last several days of the meet. One of the changes consisted of moving the 200 IM from the original first day of individual competition to the final day of the meet. It now conflicts with the 200 back and fly and the 100 free, and we have seen several swimmers change their previous NCAA lineups.
The SEC lineup changed in response to the new NCAA order, and Texas senior Hubert Kos opted to swim the 200 backstroke and 200 IM in the same session on Saturday, getting his first shot at the double.
He won the 200 IM by half a second, touching in 1:40.53 to beat teammate Baylor Nelson‘s 1:41.09 for 2nd.
In the 200 backstroke, which was just three events later (men’s and women’s 100 free and women’s 100 back), Kos finished 2nd, touching in 1:36.80 to come in four tenths behind Florida’s Jonny Marshall, who swam 1:36.38.
In the pre-selection psych sheet, Kos has opted to swim the 100 butterfly on day two, the 100 backstroke on day three, and the 200 backstroke on day four. He is the 2nd seed in both backstroke events and the 68th seed in the 100 fly with the 45.82 he swam at the Texas vs Texas A&M meet at the end of January.
Kos is not a stranger to the 100 fly, and he swam the long course event at the Olympics in 2024, finishing 16th in the semifinal. His SCY best time stands at 44.05 from last year’s Eddie Reese Invite, which would be seeded 6th in the event. There is some tight competition at the top of the event, but swimming it means he will be fresh for the 200 backstroke final on the final day of competition.
Following SECs, Kos spoke to Hungarian media about the meet, and his loss, saying “It’s always hard to lose in the main event, you never want to… This was a race for me where I wasn’t in top shape because we want to see that in three or four weeks at the big championships.”*
In a separate interview, he talked about making the actual decision that he would have the final say over head coach Bob Bowman, which means he was likely the catalyst behind the decision, “It’s strange to say that I can decide, but this is my fourth year — and I could decide on the last day.”*
*both translated from the original Hungarian
Putting Joseph Schooling’s school record on watch. 43.75 is the mark, for now.
Schedule changes were made for viewership. Now we don’t get to view the best swimmer at the meet do his (second) best event.
Why? Kos he wants to.
lol, stop it
Hubert the sprinter about to shock everyone in the 100 fly. 41.99
lmao. Drop patterns do suggest he could be faster than anticipated though (at the same meet he went his 44.05 PB, he was 44.3 in the 100 back…)
I’m gonna say he’ll be in the 43.0-43.5 range
Yeah that’s what I’m thinking too. Maybe the upper range more likely.
half a second seems reasonable. I was messing around with the 41.99 stuff but I think people have been downplaying Hubert’s butterfly ability
man negative splits 50s
and he’ll negative split 100s too. 21.99 going out, 20.00 coming back in the 100 fly