The 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships are set to take place from March 25th to 28th at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, GA. With the Men's 400 Free Relay looming large, the stage is set for a thrilling showdown between some of the nation's top swimming programs. The relay, a sprint powerhouse for Arizona State under head coach Herbie Behm, has been a consistent top-three finisher at the championships over the past three years. However, the Sun Devils face stiff competition from NC State, Florida, and Tennessee, who are all looking to make their mark on the event.
ASU, led by Ilya Kharun and Johnny Kulow, has been a force to be reckoned with in the sprint events. With a pair of grad transfers on the team, the Sun Devils blasted a time of 2:42.15 to win the Big 12s and shave 0.15 seconds off the Tennessee record. Kharun and Kulow both dropped time from their 2025 NCAAs performances, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Remi Fabiani and Adam Chaney do the same this year. However, fatigue may be a factor, as all four swimmers have individual finals earlier in the session.
NC State, on the other hand, has been a consistent threat in the relay in recent years. The Wolfpack broke their 2018 school record of 2:44.31 at the ACCs, finishing with a time of 2:43.53. All four swimmers set best times at the ACCs, and dropping time will be key to their podium hopes. Florida, led by Josh Liendo, also has its work cut out for it, as the Gators will need to be on top of their game to give Liendo a chance at NCAAs.
Tennessee, which underwent a significant change with the loss of Jordan Crooks, is still a force to be reckoned with. The Vols bring in Australian freshman Koby Bujak-Upton and Pedro Sansone, but their key man is Gui Caribe. The Brazilian placed third at NCAAs in the individual 100 free last year and led off the relay in 40.57 at SECs. If he can keep his form, Tennessee could surprise and finish in the top three.
The Big Ten has two teams seeded for 'A' final points in Indiana and Michigan, both of which look good bets to stay there. Indiana, led by Dylan Smiley, has already been faster from a flat start than he was on the relay, and Michigan, which replaced three swimmers from last year's team, seems to have even more time to take off. The ACC, meanwhile, will be a dogfight in Heat 3, with five of the right teams separated by just 0.91 seconds at the ACC championships.
LSU, Georgia, and Northwestern are also in the mix, with the Wildcats seeded a long way down the psych sheet but with a pair of 41-point sprinters to lead them off. In the end, ASU should have too much firepower for the field, but the podium is anyone's game. The Vols should break away from the rest to get a top-four finish, while Texas and Indiana will duke it out again after being separated by just 0.04 seconds in 2025. The final two places in the top eight are up for grabs, with five or six teams in the mix.
