The University of Wyoming is two months into construction on its new aquatics center, with the state-of-the-art facility scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2026.
GE Johnson Construction Company broke ground on the project on November 5, just under one year after SwimSwam reported that Wyoming Athletics had reached approximately 75% of its funding goal ($20 million). That coupled with the $120 million contributed by the state of Wyoming in order to construct the new natatorium along with completing renovations on War Memorial Stadium.
Despite being a competitive NCAA Division I mid-major program, the Wyoming swim & dive teams currently train out of the John Corbett Building, which features an L-shaped 25-meter by 25-yard pool. However, the teams have been hosting home meets at Laramie High School, which offers more deck space.
Once the University of Wyoming Aquatics Center is completed, the Cowboys and Cowgirls will have a fully equipped facility with a 10-lane, 50-meter pool, which can be used as a 20-lane, 25-yard pool by swimming the width. It will be just the second 50-meter pool in the state.
There will also be 3-meter and 5-meter diving platforms, 1-meter and 3-meter springboards, and new locker rooms implemented.
“This pool didn’t just happen. It has been discussed by administrators, previous coaches, students, athletes, state legislators and senators for over two decades,” UW head swimming and diving coach Dave Denniston said.
“Our athletics director, Tom Burman, made sure this project was going to be completed on his watch. His tenacity and unwillingness to throw in the towel the multiple times that it looked like it would never happen has to be commended. I’ve enjoyed working with Mr. Burman on this project to see it come to life and I believe the end result will be a crown jewel for this athletic department.”
The facility will be located southeast corner of campus and will also support the university’s campus recreation program.
In the 2023-24 season, the Wyoming women’s team placed 6th (out of nine teams) at the Mountain West Conference Championships, while the men’s team placed 4th (out of six teams) at the Western Athletic Conference Championships.
So far this season, the Cowgirls are 5-0 in dual meets, while the Cowboys are 2-1.
Denniston believes the new facility will help elevate the program in the future.
“This 50-meter facility will be the second one in the state of Wyoming and I know the varsity swimmers are looking forward to training in that space and sharing the love of the sport with the people of Wyoming through camps and competitions,” Denniston said. “The new pool will be far superior to the pool in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center and will allow us to push the upper echelon of what is possible in our sport both on a National Collegiate level as well as internationally.
“I believe the breathtaking architecture and the flow of the facility will be a discussion point for anyone visiting. In the end, this new pool will allow Wyoming swimmers to thrive for years to come.”
With Denniston making reference to the pool in Colorado Springs, does that mean Wyoming is looking to be a new altitude training destination for teams? I know NAU does it, and I don’t quite know the logistics of USAFA in terms of outside teams. This could be quite a revenue stream for UW, especially considering how challenging it is to book the OTC.
It’s great for the swimmers but why even bother with the diving tower if it’s just 3 and 5m?
Although a full set of towers would be ideal, going this route makes some sense as having a full set of towers comes with a lot of additional cost. Also, 5m also training translates fairly well to any height. In meets, divers can typically choose whatever height platform they want to use, so in theory an entire list of dives can be done from 5m.
Wyoming has a pretty good diving history with several scoring at NCAAs over the last 20+ years. In addition to this facility being a big step up for the swimmers, it will also be a big step up for the divers.
if a state of the art pool gets built in the middle of nowhere does anyone hear the splash?
Yes
Might turn into a cheaper option for people to look at altitude training camps. Laramie probably isn’t the easiest place to get to though and 7,000 feet above sea level will be a bear to adjust to.
It’s 2-1/2 hours from Denver. Easy to get to than some pools in Florida.
quality dry land to get to and fro…
Not enough salt in the ocean for ya?
+ $120M budget. 50M pool. Diving platforms. New locker rooms.
– 2 aluminum sets of bleachers, that can hold about 80 spectators.
I had the same thought… what’s up with the lack of seating for spectators?
No one is going to Wyoming to watch swimming. Lane space is the key here and there is enough space for decently large meets for spectators.
How many large meets do you think they will host at 7000 feet?
Budget for the pool facility is 25 million. The other 95 millions is for other renovations to other facilities (stadium).
Noted though is the lack of a 7.5 and 10 M tower though I doubt that’s really a need in the state. The Diving well does provide a warmup/warm down area for long course meets which is important.
One thing I think is important to note, when you need to get this over the finish line you make the cuts needed in order to get 90% of what you need rather than waiting another decade and have costs continue to climb.
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This is a GREAT news for University of Wyoming! Very happy for UW athletics. It is my hope that the place will be used for many organizations internationally to train at 7200 feet altitude, which will benefit greatly for all swimmers and divers.
Bravo! Finally, a school and state see value to swimming. I used to be in that conference. Swimming at 7000 plus feet is no joke. 😂
great tank, almost zero spectator space. why spend all this money only to build what will essentially be a training facility? seems somewhat shortsighted.
You got another 10-15 million to add some seats? Give me a break
Nobody wants to have big meets at 7,000 feet. It will be a great place for training and altitude camps.
Well done Coach Dave. While the journey of designing, fund raising and building a facility of this nature is often frustrating, hope you and the teams will enjoy the new facility for many years.