College Swimming League and Myrtha Pools Forge a New Path Together at FMC Natatorium
A pioneer in the construction of world-class swimming pools is set to play a groundbreaking role in the evolution of US collegiate swimming. The Myrtha competition pool at FMC Natatorium in the Chicago suburbs will host the first-ever College Swimming League event.
Designed to be fan-friendly and TV-ready, the CSL will offer a series of meets featuring elite college teams in a dual-meet format. A total of six events are planned, with the debut at FMC uniquely structured as a two-day event. Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan and Louisville will compete at FMC on Thursday, 24 September. Friday’s action will feature North Carolina State, Georgia, Alabama and Virginia, the defending NCAA women’s champions.
“Myrtha Pools is proud to partner with the College Swimming League. There is no better facility than the world-class FMC aquatic centre to kick off the inaugural CSL season,” said Mike Mintenko, VP of Revenue & Growth for Myrtha Pools USA.
The CSL series also includes meets hosted by Stanford, Tennessee and California, as well as a meet at Georgia. Auburn will also compete in the series. Events will be broadcast live on ESPNU, ESPN+, DAZN or the SEC Network.
The series will culminate in a finale at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis. Results from the previous meets will be used to seed the teams for a wild-card round on 5 November, followed by the championship meet on 6 November.
“It’s worth paying attention to who’s getting involved with the CSL at the ground level, before we’ve had a single season under our belt, and Myrtha is officially one of them,” said Kyle Sockwell, Chief Operating Officer of the CSL. “They’re the standard for the sport’s biggest meets, and if you’ve watched one in the last 15 years, there’s a good chance the swimmers were racing in a Myrtha pool. We’re not building a pool in an American football stadium in year one, but having them alongside us makes this series look and feel bigger, and we’re glad they’ll be with us for all eight matches later this year.”
FMC Natatorium opened its doors in late 2020 and has quickly become synonymous with fast swimming. It was the site of four world records set during last year’s World Aquatics short-course World Cup series, and it has hosted many elite-level competitions in swimming, diving, water polo and artistic swimming.
FMC has also hosted five consecutive seasons of the Illinois high school swimming and diving championships, during which the state’s record book has essentially been rewritten. The CSL event further cements FMC’s position as a premier swimming destination.
“Every partner is vital to the launch of the College Swimming League, especially as we build the foundation of this exciting new venture,” said Robert Kent, CEO of the CSL. “However, our partnership with Myrtha Pools holds a truly unique significance for us. To host elite events exactly the way we envision, we must have access to world-class facilities, and that is exactly what Myrtha Pools delivers. There is no better example of this than our inaugural match at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont, a spectacular Myrtha pool that sets the absolute benchmark for our competition. As we scale, we are constantly asked if other venues can host a CSL match; our answer is always that the facilities must meet the rigorous, premium standards set by Myrtha Pools. They are not just an exceptional partner for the CSL, but also a champion for the advancement of swimming as a whole.”
FMC Natatorium features a nine-lane, 50-metre pool with custom starting blocks and two Myrtha flow-through bulkheads that create the courses used for traditional 25-yard short-course racing in deep water. Hidden from spectators’ view is an eight-lane, 25-yard instructional pool, which can provide additional warm-up and cool-down space for athletes. Spectators benefit from excellent sightlines, with seating available on three sides of the pool.
“Myrtha Pools looks forward to watching some of the NCAA’s top athletes as they continue their development towards the LA 2028 Olympic Games. The road to gold is paved in steel, and we wish them the absolute best in their pursuit,” said Mike Mintenko, VP of Revenue & Growth for Myrtha Pools USA.
For tickets or more information, visit the CSL website:
