Tickets For Men’s NCAA Championship Meet Sell out Already

On the same day as official invites went out, tickets for the 2018 Men’s NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships have already sold out.

The tickets actually go on sell months before invites are sent out, and teams get the first crack – allowed to request up to 40 for each session. The Minneapolis Aquatic Center, which seats 1,346 permanently off-deck, in addition to 1,200 in temporary bleachers on deck. For NCAAs, only the off-deck seating is sold, and those tickets have already sold out.

While the natatorium is small as compared to the country’s biggest permanent facility, the Indiana University Natatorium that seats 4,700 spectators (but never fills up anymore), it is fairly large relative to most in the country. The King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way Washington, built for the Goodwill Games but without a collegiate tenant, hosts 2,500. When the meet was there a few years back, it didn’t fill up, either.

Austin’s Texas Swim Center, which has the advantage of keeping more seating close tot he competition course because its diving well isn’t end-to-end with its competition pools, seats 1,800 spectators off-deck in arm chairs. The Texas Swim Center usually draws full crowds, especially with the added draw of the city of Austin, which has long been popular among swimmers.

Texas A&M’s natatorium, which hosted the 2009 men’s and women’s NCAA Championships, seats only 1,100 off-deck, fewer than Minneapolis. Ohio State’s McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, which will host women’s NCAAs this year, has seating for 1,400 fans – about the same as Minneapolis. Tickets for that meet have not yet been sold out (and can be purchased here).

Teams were able to make their ticket requests in January. Between them, and early-purchasers (frequently alumni and fans of programs that know they’ll send lots of swimmers), tickets sold out some time in February (we don’t know the exact date).

This is at the same time exciting and frustrating for swim fans. The excitement comes from the fact that more fans are paying for tickets to go to the meets in person. The frustration comes from the fact that more fans could be discouraged by not being able to attend, especially this year where the meet is expected to be one of the most competitive championships in years for the team title.

Because it’s challenging to support 2000-seat indoor natatoriums around the country, if NCAA Championship meets continue to sell-out this far in advance, swimming could shift to a tighter rotation among the 3 aforementioned pools, though that could also be a blow to the schools that build 1,000+seat natatoriums with the expectation of being in the hosting rotation.

What Minnesota lacks in size, it makes up for with a key feature – it has spectator seating on both sides of the competition pool, creating a noise-tunnel. Very few pools in the country of the same size (Indy is one) can boast the same effect.

Don’t give up total hope of getting tickets – in the past, even with sold-out meets, standing room only tickets have been made available on the day of the events.

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Bobshorse
6 years ago

Have it at the C.T Branin In Canton, OH. Deep seating on three sides of the pool. One of the best places to watch SCY.

HotFudge46
Reply to  Bobshorse
6 years ago

Yes! C.T. Branin sells out every year for OHSAA State Swimming Championships. Holds 2400 in the stands and 1000 on deck, plus access to the gymnasium for swimmers to stay. Historical facility and definitely the best venue for spectators in the country, period!

OHparent
Reply to  Bobshorse
6 years ago

Might seat alot but the air quality is beyond horrible and the stuffiness in the stands is also beyond belief. With all the focus on air quality in indoor facilities, this place is ridiculous. The facility is ancient and not kept up well. Still don’t see why Ohio keeps on having the meet there with OSU being a central location. Nostalgia only goes so far….

Swimmer
Reply to  OHparent
6 years ago

I understand they are shutting down this pool this summer to update the air quality system.

Stankgal
6 years ago

Well now looks like I will be lounging In my Christmas Jammies in front of the 70″ LED with Diet Coke, Large Pizza with extra cheese and my favorite puppy in my lap. It does not get any better. Much rather be comfy and watch live feed than have to go to Minnie-frozen-soda-pop.

Stankgal
Reply to  Years of Plain Suck
6 years ago

Haha accurate color of jammies!

Swimmer!
6 years ago

I might just be confused, but can someone explain the “both” in the article title?

Alibi68
6 years ago

Why wouldn’t the NCAA set aside a couple of tickets for the family of each invited swimmer? It’s ridiculous, I am parent of an invited swimmer and I can’t even get a ticket.

Years of Plain Suck
6 years ago

Why not have the NCAAs at Stanford? Plenty of seating: holds 3,000. Two 50 meter warmup pools. In the past, used for both Men’s and Women’s NCAA water polo championships (and also NCAA synchro champs). Only drawback: it’s an outdoor facility. But the teams with the most “character” could handle that small inconvenience!

Swimmer
Reply to  Years of Plain Suck
6 years ago

It’s not fair to backstrokers who don’t have the opportunity to practice outdoors year-round… I.e. everyone not from the west coast.

CraigH
Reply to  Swimmer
6 years ago

You could make the counter-argument about teams from the West Coast who are used to swimming outdoors all year and then have to deal with breathing/sighting in an indoor pool for championships.

SwimFan
6 years ago

Wow!!! Sold out…? and I was thinking of going to watch and cheer on our team.

Swim Guy
6 years ago

Ohio State’s pool is another one with spectators on both sides.

JimSwim
Reply to  Swim Guy
6 years ago

So is Federal way

Friuti
6 years ago

Rip my hopes of getting tickets. Hopefully will be able to find some there or they’ll have the standing room only available.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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