Indiana University-Purdue Universty Indianapolis (better known as IUPUI or “Ooh-wee-pooh-wee”) will be the host to 6 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships between 2012 and 2017, as part of an expanded agreement between the NCAA and it’s leaseholders, the city of Indianapolis, according to Inside Indiana Business. The City of Indianapolis is the leaseholder of the NCAA’s 4-story, 140,000 square foot headquarters in the White River State Park. The University of Indianapolis will serve as the host for Division II Championships in 2015, and 2016, and Franklin College will host the 2012 and 2014 Division III Championships, although all 3 meets will be hosted at IUPUI’s IU Natatorium.
NCAA Headquarters in Indianapolis.
If IUPUI doesn’t exactly strike you as a swimming powerhouse, remember that the IUPUI hosted the 1984, 1992, 1996, and 200 Olympic Trials, and is widely considered one of the fastest pools in the world. The pool boasts 101 American Record-setting swims, and 15 World Record-setting swims. All but 3 of those 15 World Records were set prior to the polyurethane-lead onslaught on the record books.
In addition, the IU Natatorium has a seating capacity of 4,700 spectators, which is the largest of any permanent indoor pool in the United States. This will help alleviate the ticket crunch that plagues the NCAA Championships, where the last 3 championship venues have had capacities of only 1750 (Ohio State), 700 (Purdue, website claims 1400 is possible with the use of temporary bleachers), and 1100 (Texas A&M).
The IUPUI swimming and diving program only began during the 1997-1998 season, and thus far their biggest success story has been diver Chen Ni. Ni is the only NCAA National Champion for IUPUI in any sport, after winning the 2010 Platform diving Championship as only a sophomore. Ni finished 4th in the event in 2009.
Indianapolis is an amateur-sports mecca of sorts, as it is also host to the NFHS, the national governing body for high school sports in the United States.