The road to a NCAA title in swimming and diving runs through University of Texas. It’s the men’s turn in Atlanta and the Longhorns are looking to go back-to-back in 2026.
The Texas men may not have the same NCAA title streak as the Virginia women, but they share something in common: a roster full of suffocating depth.
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The SEC champion Longhorns enter as defending national champions and sit atop the field heading leading into the week. Unlike recent years, the margin at the top is much wider. Based on seeds, Texas is slated to score 144 more points from individual swimming points alone.
If everything goes according to plan, the Longhorns should avoid another photo finish after winning the national title by just 19 points last year. Arizona State is the favorite to finish as national runner up, with Florida closely behind. Indiana, NC State, and California will all be vying for a top five finish.
Here are the biggest storylines leading into this week’s competition:
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Texas looks to Repeat
Head coach Bob Bowman has quickly helped Texas regain national prominence in men’s collegiate swimming. After a down year in 2024, the Longhorns are back at the top of the sport. Adding another title would further cement that dominance.
Texas boasts strong relay depth, entering as the top seed in the 800 freestyle relay and holding top five seeds in three others. The Longhorns will have scoring versatility throughout the week throughout each of the strokes and distances.
A great example is the 400 IM where Texas holds the number one, four, and six seeded swimmers. Baylor Nelson, Cooper Lucas, and Rex Maurer have the potential to sweep the top of the podium in the event.
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For Bowman a win would give the Texas head coach a third straight title. The legendary coach, best known for coaching Michael Phelps, was the first to win consecutive titles with two different schools (Arizona State 2024, Texas 2025). The win for Texas would be the program’s 17th national championship.
Different from the women’s meet, there will be a mix of relay talent, with Arizona State stealing the show. The Sun Devils broke the NCAA record in the 400 freestyle relay at the Big 12 championships and have their sights set on another in the 200 freestyle relay. They also hold the top seed in the 400 medley relay, two tenths ahead of Texas.
Arizona State is seeded to score the most relay points leading into the week, which gives them the slight edge over Florida to finish as national runner up. However, the No. Gators are fresh off a great SEC showing, and have the firepower to challenge.
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The Gators broke the NCAA record in the 200 medley relay at the SEC Championships, and have sprint depth that stacks up well with the rest of the country.
Indiana, one of the strongest programs in both swimming and diving will be fighting to get back into the top three after winning a fifth straight Big Ten title.
California will be a factor after placing as national runner-up in 2025, as they remain a perennial contender with one of the deepest rosters in the country. NC State will also join the tightly packed top tier of teams thanks to strong senior leadership and impressive freestyle relays.
Diving will play a critical role, with Texas, Indiana, Tennessee and others expecting to cash in on valuable points across all three diving events.
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Stars to Monitor
The NCAA Men’s Championships have a number of standout swimmers in 2026. The talent at this year’s NCAA championships includes some of the best swimmers in the world, headlined by Josh Liendo, Hubert Kós, and Ilya Kharun.
These three enter the meet as the premier all-around contributors, each bringing key experience and the ability to contend for NCAA titles in multiple events, while being relay main-stays for their respective programs.
Liendo will be one of the focal points in sprint freestyle and butterfly events. Entered in the 50 and 100 freestyle as well as the 100 butterfly, his range makes him one of the most valuable swimmers in the field. He will also play a major role in four of Florida’s relays.
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The Florida senior is the returning champion and four time SEC gold medalist in the 100 butterfly. The box to check is Caeleb Dressel’s NCAA record. Dressel stopped the clock in 42.80 seconds in 2018 and Liendo holds the second fastest time in history at 43.06.
Kós headlines the backstroke events and holds the NCAA record in both the 100 and 200 backstroke. His consistency makes him an x-factor for Texas, and his performances will be key to the Longhorns push for another team title. He also adds versatility that factors into medley relays.
Kharun is the favorite in the 200 butterfly, and will battle with Liendo in the 100 fly. He is also tied with Liendo for the top time in the country in the 50 freestyle. The Arizona State junior has the ability to challenge for titles in each while contributing heavily on Arizona State’s relays.
One of the biggest storylines entering the meet is the absence of Georgia senior Luca Urlando, who will miss the NCAA Championships due to injury. Urlando is one of the premier butterflyer’s not only in the U.S. but the world. Urlando is the NCAA record holder in the 200 butterfly, and would have been the favorite. His absence reshapes the event, removing one of its most experienced and dangerous competitors. With Urlando out, the 200 fly becomes more open at the top, and shifts the spotlight to Kharun.
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The sprint freestyle fields are top tier, with Liendo and Kharun being tied as the top seed in the 50 free. Only four tenths of a second separate first through sixteenth place on the psych sheet. LSU’s Jere Hribar leads the pack in the 100 free after breaking Liendo’s meet record at SECs. He’s followed by six swimmers who have broken 41 seconds, including Liendo and Tennessee’s Gui Caribe. Caribe is seeded second after finishing in the top three the last two years.
Texas’ Rex Maurer and Will Modglin are also top seeds and will be ones to watch throughout the week. Maurer is the defending champion in the 400 IM and 500 freestyle and Modglin broke the American record 100 backstroke earlier in the season.
Other names to watch include Indiana senior Zalansarky, who will be the favorite in distance freestyle and Texas junior Nate Germonprez in the breaststrokes.
Relays will also play a pivotal role in the team race. Texas, Florida, NC State and Arizona State bring star-studded lineups in each of the five relays.
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When and where are the 2026 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships
Dates: Wednesday March 25-Saturday, March 28
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Location: McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia
The 2026 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships will start on Wednesday, March 25, and conclude on Saturday, March 28 .
This year’s meet will be held at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia, which was originally built for the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. The meet will be streamed all week on ESPN+.
Event Schedule
Wednesday, March 18 | Live results
Preliminaries: 10:00 am ET, Finals 6:00 pm ET
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1650-yard freestyle (all but top eight seeds in prelims)
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200-yard medley relay (all but top eight seeds in prelims)
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800-yard freestyle relay (all but top eight seeds in prelims)
Thursday, March 19 | Live results
Preliminaries: 10:00 am ET, Finals 6:00 pm ET
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400-yard individual medley
Friday, March 20 | Live results
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Preliminaries: 10:00 am ET, Finals 6:00 pm ET
Saturday, March 21 | Live results
Preliminaries: 10:00 am ET, Finals 6:00 pm ET
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200-yard individual medley