The University of Kentucky has published a feasibility study for an expansion of the Lancaster Aquatic Center.
The plans would include new office and locker room space, ‘team rooms’ for each of the men’s and women’s teams, new training rooms, new equipment storage, new dryland training space, It would also include a new lobby and entryway into the facility.
The existing Lancaster Aquatics Center facility was opened in 1989 with an 8-lane 50-meter competition pool that can be turned to 22 x 25-yard lanes for training.
The plans don’t change the actual footprint of the pools, but rather are a refurbishment.
The pool currently has spectator seating for up to 500 people. While at one point, that made the facility part of the SEC Championship hosting rotation, more recently the meet has rotated among the larger facilities at Auburn, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Georgia. The current renovation plan doesn’t include any change to seating capacity.
A spokesperson said that “UK and UK Athletics is fully committed to supporting the continued success of the swimming & diving program,” and that they are “excited about turning these plans into a reality in the near future.”
No cost has been assigned to the renovations yet.
Kentucky head coach Lars Jorgensen told SwimSwam that there is no definitive timeline for the renovation yet, as the project has to be prioritized alongside other athletics projects. Head football coach Mark Stoops has been clamoring for a new indoor practice facility.
I think it’s funny that Centre College in Danville Kentucky is getting a brand new 50 m pool lol. A team that has not had a really qualify for NCAA‘s in 20+ years
How about building a facility that can host SECs? Team room and locker rooms desperately needed to be updated but a NEW FACILITY should be the priority.
I don’t know that the SEC needs another host facility. They’ve got plenty.
Swimming needs to ‘read the room,’ before we ‘gotta have 1,500 seats’ ourselves out of the NCAA.
I agree, but it’s not just about the NCAA.
https://www.kentucky.com/opinion/op-ed/article257991493.html?fbclid=IwAR0dCraueQSAxYAdqOmmrTstFG8UuLANmCiZnM5-iiVzkKKCZschglzBY8U
Additional pool space is DESPERATELY needed in Lexington!
I guess you gotta announce something when a DIII school down the street is about to have a better facility…
From what I see it does not seem like the spectator area is receiving any expansion.
I lived in KY for a while and our state championship meets were always at UK. It’d be nice to have updated locker rooms!
Too bad UK hasn’t allowed the KY LSC to host a state meet since before COVID. Central Kentucky needs more pool space for bigger meets, youth aquatics and wellness; not fancier space.
Agreed! Hopefully they consider adding an additional pool to help combat the complete lack of pool space in Lexington!
Those diving facilities would be incredible
They do! It will be a huge pull for top diving recruits. I also appreciate the guy they have in the illustration diving off of the dry board like a five year old diving off of the blocks at his first summer league meet 🙂
My favorite part is the guy walking in the competition pool, giving the impression that it’s only about 2 feet deep.
They do have a movable floor at that end of the pool. Maybe he’s resistance walking?