Men Surpass Women in 2026 NCAA Swimming Qualifiers

77 men now invited to the championships, compared to 69 women

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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The 2026 NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships are shaping up to have more men's qualifiers than women's for the first time, with the men reaching 77 total invited athletes and the women sitting at 69 as of the latest update.

Why it matters

This milestone reflects the continued growth and competitiveness of men's collegiate swimming, which has seen increased participation and performance levels in recent years. It also highlights the ongoing efforts to achieve gender parity in collegiate sports.

The details

Friday's conference championship action saw six new women's qualifiers and 15 new men's qualifiers added to the meet. Notable additions include Cameron Snowden of UNC Wilmington in the women's 100 fly, Simon Casey of Wyoming in the men's 200 free, and several Ivy League swimmers like Mitchell Schott of Princeton and Marton Nagy of Brown.

  • The 2025 NCAA Division I Conference season has just one day left.
  • As of February 27, 2026, the men have officially surpassed the women in overall qualifiers.

The players

Simon Casey

A swimmer from the University of Wyoming who qualified for the 2026 NCAA Championships in the 200 freestyle.

Cameron Snowden

A swimmer from UNC Wilmington who qualified for the 2026 NCAA Championships in the 100 butterfly.

Mitchell Schott

A swimmer from Princeton University who qualified for the 2026 NCAA Championships in the 200 freestyle.

Marton Nagy

A swimmer from Brown University who qualified for the 2026 NCAA Championships in the 400 individual medley.

Madeline Folsom

The author of the original article published on SwimSwam.com.

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What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

The takeaway

This milestone in men's swimming qualifiers reflects the continued growth and competitiveness of the sport at the collegiate level, as well as the ongoing efforts to achieve gender parity in collegiate athletics.