American Athletic Conference/Andy Hancock

2026 American Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship Begins Wednesday; Rice Picked as Favorite

02.17.26

IRVING, Texas – The 2026 American Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship will be held Wednesday through Saturday (February 18-21) at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is the second time the Championship has been held at the venue (2015). Rice has been selected as the favorite in the Pre-Championship Coaches Poll.
 
Tickets are available for purchase at this link.
 
Live coverage of the Championship will be available on ESPN+ for all eight sessions. Preliminary sessions will begin at 10:30 a.m. Eastern each morning. Coverage of the finals will begin at 6 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, 5 p.m. Eastern Thursday and Friday and 4:45 p.m. Eastern on Saturday.
 
The 2025 meet will feature nine teams including East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, FIU, James Madison, Liberty, Marshall, North Texas, Rice and Tulane. Events will be scored through the top 24 competitors in each event.
 
Rice captured its first American championship in 2025, while 2024 champion FIU was second, only 1.5 points behind the Owls. Tulane was third. All three individual award winners from the 2025 Championship return, including Most Outstanding Swimmer Nicole Frank of FIU and Most Outstanding Diver Kamryn Wong of North Texas. Rice’s Ava Portello was the Freshman of the Year in 2025.
 
FIU is the top seed in three of the five relay events, including the 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relays and the 200-yard medley relay. Rice is the top seed in the 800-yard freestyle relay, while Liberty has the top time this season in the 400-yard medley relay.
 
2026 American Women’s Swimming and Diving Pre-Championship Poll
1 Rice (6) 62
2 Liberty (3) 58
3 FIU 49
4 Tulane 43
5 Florida Atlantic 29
6 Marshall 27
7 East Carolina 24
8 James Madison 23
9 North Texas 9
First-place votes in parenthesis
 
Schedule of Events
Wednesday, February 18
Session 1 - 10:30 a.m. (Swimming Prelims) | ESPN+

500-yard Freestyle
200-yard Individual Medley
50-yard Freestyle

Session 2 - 6 p.m. (Finals) | ESPN+
200-yard Medley Relay
500-yard Freestyle
200-yard Individual Medley
50-yard Freestyle
Team Diving Event

Thursday, February 19
Session 3 - 10:30 a.m. (Swimming Prelims) | 11 a.m. (Diving Prelims) | ESPN+

400-yard Individual Medley
100-yard Butterfly
200-yard Freestyle
1-meter Diving Prelims

Session 4 - 5 p.m. (Diving Consolations) | 6 p.m. (Finals) | ESPN+
1-meter Diving Consolations
200-yard Freestyle Relay
400-yard Individual Medley
100-yard Butterfly
200-yard Freestyle
1-meter Diving Finals
400-yard Medley Relay

Friday, February 20
Session 5 - 10:30 a.m. (Swimming Prelims) | 11 a.m. (Diving Prelims) | ESPN+

100-yard Backstroke
100-yard Breaststroke
200-yard Butterfly
3-meter Diving Prelims

Session 6 - 5 p.m. (Diving Consolations) | 6 p.m. (Finals) | ESPN+
3-meter Diving Consolations
800-yard Freestyle Relay
3-meter Diving Finals
100-yard Backstroke
100-yard Breaststroke
200-yard Butterfly

Saturday, February 21
Session 7 - 10:30 a.m. (Swimming Prelims) | 11 a.m. (Diving Prelims) | ESPN+

100-yard Freestyle
200-yard Backstroke
200-yard Breaststroke
Platform Diving Prelims

Session 8 - 4:45 p.m. (Diving Consolations) | 5:40 p.m. (Senior Recognition) | 6 p.m. (Finals) | ESPN+
Platform Diving Consolations
1,650-yard Freestyle*
100-yard Freestyle
200-yard Backstroke
200-yard Breaststroke
Platform Diving Finals
400-yard Freestyle Relay

* The 1,650-yard Freestyle is a timed final event. The fastest heat of scoring athletes will be swum at the beginning of finals. The remaining heats will begin prior to the start of the finals session (backed up from a 5 p.m. warm-up time, depending on the number of heats).