How Impactful are International Swimmers and Divers at NCAAs?

Last month, I published a blog post to report on the research I had done on international swimmers and divers at the Power 4 Division 1 colleges.  That revealed that 29% of male and 25% of male swimmers and divers were not from the US.  

I did some further research to see how much of an impact international swimmers and divers had at the 2026 NCAA Championship Meet.  The answer is, they are quite impactful.  41% of points scored for men and 35% of points scored for the women came from international swimmers and divers.

So while some may not think it is fair for US colleges to be recruiting so heavily from other countries, the coaches are getting results from these international athletes.  With no restrictions in place, the trend to recruit talented athletes outside of the US will likely continue.  This in essence reduces the roster spot availability for US swimmers and divers.  Yet another reason to stay open minded to other opportunities.  Mid-major D1, D2, D3 and NAIA colleges offer a great college swimming experience and shouldn’t be overlooked!