After a year experiment without the NCAA B finals, the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Oversight Committee has decided to bring the B finals back.
The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) recommended several changes in April that were adopted by the committee.
The B finals is the biggest change. The lack of consolation finals was something met with immediate opposition from the swimmers, and many were outspoken about their removal and how it changed the meets in March.
“These changes represent an important step forward for collegiate swimming and diving,” CSCAA Executive Director Samantha Barany said in a news release. “They allow us to provide student-athletes with the championship experience they deserve and create a model that is prepared for the realities and opportunities of today’s landscape. Most importantly, we can begin exploring what the future of the championship can become. By working together, we have created a foundation that addresses today’s needs while opening the door for long-term innovation and continued progress for the sport.”
So how will the meets look now?
The B finals are back but will still be in a slightly different format. The B finals will all take place together at 6 p.m. each night of the championships, followed by the finals at 7 p.m.
Diving consolation finals will happen after swim prelims and the diving finals will take place during the finals portion and continue the split format introduced this year. The first three rounds are between the B and A finals and the last three will take place prior to the final relay of the night.
The event order will also revert to how it was prior to 2026 with the 1650 free the only difference. It will still take place on Day 1 between the two relays.
Here is how it breaks down:
Day 1: 1,650 Freestyle, 200 Medley Relay and the 800 Freestyle Relay
Day 2: 200 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly, 1 Meter Diving and the 400 Freestyle Relay
Day 3: 500 Freestyle, 200 Individual Medley, 50 Freestyle, 3 Meter Diving and the 400 Medley Relay
Day 4: 100 Butterfly, 400 Individual Medley, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, Platform Diving and the 200 Freestyle Relay
Other NCAA championship format changes
- The NCAA committee approved swimming all relay heats in the evening sessions. The relays seeded 17th and higher will be conducted with consolation finals and the fastest two heats during the A-finals. This applies only to Days 2, 3 and 4 of the championships.
- Awards ceremonies will immediately follow each A-final event during commercial breaks.
- The committee updated the qualification standards for individual events so a targeted 10% of invited student-athletes enter through the conference qualifier pathway. The men’s standard is set at the 64th best time on the performance list from 2025-26, and the women’s standard on the 88th best time on the performance list from 2025-26. Also, the selection process will be modified so student-athletes who access the meet via the conference qualifier are selected only in their top-ranked event.
