The Wisconsin Badgers christened their brand-new aquatics facility this week, with video of the sparkling 50-meter pool on Instagram.
The University of Wisconsin has been working on the facility for some time, with delays this summer related to the coronavirus pandemic. The new pool is part of the Nicholas Recreation Center, or ‘the Nick’, replacing the school’s old 50-meter training pool. Wisconsin previously held its meets in the 56-year-old UW Natatorium, an 8-lane, 25-yard pool with limited spectator seating.
The new pool looks like quite an upgrade. Wisconsin posted video of its swimmers taking in the new facility during their first masked and socially-distanced practice there this week:
“This has been a long time coming,” head coach Yuri Suguiyama says in the video. “Given everything we’re going through right now, this is just such a beam of light for our program. What an awesome day, a historic day… we couldn’t be happier to be here.”
The new facility has a separate diving well with platforms, as well as spectator seating. The old facility only had diving platforms up to the 5-meter level and not the 10-meter version.
The Wisconsin men were 4th among 10 programs at last year’s Big Ten Championships, and the Badger women were 5th out of 13 programs.
In other Wisconsin-related news, the program still doesn’t have a new diving coach to announce. The athletic department says that due to the hiring freeze as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, the diving position remains open. The position has been open since Landon Marzullo left after last season when his wife got a new job in another part of the country.
What about diving? No coach has been announced nor listed since March.
The school says that because of the hiring freeze, they have not hired a new diving coach.
On Wisconsin
Curious what are they doing with old pools? Keeping them open for general student use or shutting them down totally?
Shutting down – https://swimswam.com/wisconsin-shuts-down-old-natatorium-ahead-of-schedule-amid-coronavirus-closure/
Pools are expensive to maintain. Especially old pools
The old long course pool was demolished to make way for this one, and the old short course pool will be demolished this fall for a new rec sports facility (which will include a 25y lap pool)
What an upgrade! I can see a Big 10 championship meet being held here soon.
Is 1,200 seats too few to have NCAAs? It would be nice to switch up from the usual locations. Maybe reassign 2021 men’s champs there as a statement to university of Iowa.
1,200 is too small based on modern demand for NCAA tickets. Iowa only seats 1,200 too, though.
At some point, if they want people beyond just families/alumni to attend (and maybe the NCAA doesn’t care), they’re going to have to consider just going an Indy-Austin-Athens-Ohio State-Greensboro-Georgia Tech rotation, especially for men’s. Maybe Minnesota too, because I think they can add temporary bleachers there to make it bigger?
I’d throw Federal Way in there too, but I recall attendance for their last hosting of women’s NCAAs there to be underwhelming.
I’d also love to see conference championship meets become a huge deal for ‘fans’. If you could go to Wisconsin and sell out 1,200 seats for Big Tens and turn it… Read more »
Iowa seemed odd. 1200 but they had a side with glass where they put spectators behind the glass. I think it was in a gym.
I wish I could swim in this! I will have to wait for covid but the day I do will be the day!!
so beautiful
Nooooice! *Ders Voice*
A great blessing to see positive swimming news, especially in terms of college swimming! Congrats Badgers!