LEXINGTON, Va. – It was announced Monday morning that VMI Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving will join the NEC as an affiliate member beginning in the 2026-27 season.
 
In conjunction with this news, the Keydets will host the 2027 NEC Swimming & Diving Championships at Goodall Pool in the VMI Aquatic Center. The championship is scheduled for February 17–20.
 
"We are excited to join the NEC as our swimming and diving programs continue to improve each year," says VMI Director of Athletics Jamaal Walton. "As a cadet, I vividly remember our swimming and diving program capturing back-to-back NEC Invitationals in 2006 and 2007. These programs have a championship mindset, and I love our chances heading into the NEC this upcoming season."
 
VMI men will compete against Howard, Le Moyne, LIU, and Wagner, while the women will square off against Central Connecticut State, Howard, Le Moyne, LIU, Stonehill, and Wagner in the championships.
 
"We're thrilled to welcome VMI to the NEC men's and women's swimming and diving family," says NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris. "Their presence adds depth to both championship fields and reflects the continued growth of the sport across the conference. We're especially appreciative that VMI will host the 2027 NEC Championships in Lexington, providing a first-class setting and experience for our student-athletes."
 
VMI Swimming & Diving Conference History
The VMI swim & dive programs are familiar faces to the NEC from the early 2000's, with the men winning the 2006 and 2007 NEC Invitational several years before the NEC officially sponsored swimming & diving in 2021. In total, the men's program has won 11 conference titles (nine SoCon, two NEC). The women's team, which began in 2006, started its first two seasons as a varsity program in the NEC's young era.
 
For the past nine seasons, VMI has been an affiliate member of the America East Conference, making it the fifth conference home in the history of the VMI men's program and third of the women's program, following the Southern Conference (1937-82), the Southern States Conference (1991-2003), the NEC (2003-07), and the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (2008-2017).
 
Goodall Pool at the VMI Aquatic Center
While the Clark King Pool has served as the home of the VMI Swimming and Diving program since 1971, the VMI Aquatic Center was officially dedicated on January 7, 2023, and the first official NCAA meet was held on October 28, 2023.
 
Construction on the $44 million facility began in December 2020, and it contains an indoor 50-meter swimming pool that holds 800,000 gallons of water. It has two 1-meter springboards, two 3-meter springboards, and a 5-meter dive platform, plus seating for 570 spectators.
 
The pool is a "smart pool" in that the chemical balance and temperature are all regulated by a computer. Various sensors are located throughout the system in the inner workings of the pool, and as water flows past the sensors, messages are transmitted to the computer. If the pH or temperature needs correcting, it is done by the computer.
 
The pool is large enough to be divided into three sections, enabling simultaneous diving, water polo, and competitive swimming. NCAA teams will be able to use it for practice and competition, and ROTC and the Department of Human Performance and Wellness will use it for training.
 
VMI Aquatic Center has hosted three conference championships, serving as the home of the America East Championships since 2023-24.
 
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