Michigan head coach Mike Bottom is one of the most innovative coaches in swimming. Last year alone, he was the mind behind the Michigan Water Carnival and the great 20-yard pool dual meet against in-state foes Eastern Michigan.
In an interview done on the big screen in Indianapolis Friday just before the beginning of the 5th day of the 2013 World Championship Trials, he hinted at his next scheme, and in this one he’s taking a page out of track & field’s book. Bottom revealed that he is part of a group working to put together a Big Ten/SEC Challenge meet.
Bottom didn’t dig too deep into details on this meet, but in the track & field format, the best swimmers from a handful of teams in each conference will be scored as one team to determine conference supremacy.
Track’s edition of the Big Ten – SEC Challenge in March pitted Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State against Illinois and Perdue. Texas A&M in the past has hosted an annual Big 12/SEC or Big 12/SEC/Pac 12 Challenge that is arguably the most exciting meet in the country every year outside of the NCAA Championships. (Notably, Texas A&M is also the 2013 men’s NCAA co-champions in outdoor track & field, and their head coach Pat Henry is known as a similar innovator in his sport).
This is an idea with huge potential, and with conference-versus-conference rivalries looming huge in swimming, could be a huge draw for fans and alumni alike.
In total, the two conferences have combined for 41 NCAA Championships since the NCAA first started recognizing them in 1937; the Big Ten won 11 of the 13 crowns earned before that, so this could be a titanic showdown.
Was there any talk about a location or time of the year?
That would be pretty cool. I was invited to a meet were it was USA national team vs Big Ten (if you were on the national team but were attending a Big Ten school, you represented the Big Ten). It was fun. I hope that it would become a regular event (SEC vs Big Ten).