While the Clark King Pool served as the home of the VMI Swimming and Diving program since 1971 and VMI Water Polo since its inception, on January 7, 2023 the VMI Aquatic Center was officially dedicated. Read the full release on the VMI Aquaitc Center dedication here.
Construction on the $44 million facility began December 2020, and it contains an indoor 50-meter swimming pool which 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 large enough to be divided into three sections, making diving, water polo, and competitive swimming possible simultaneously. 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, as VMI requires all students to take one semester of swimming. Cadet clubs, like the scuba club, will also find it valuable. High water entry exercises, which had been done in the Maury River, can now be conducted indoors.
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 first official NCAA contest took place on April 1, 2023, as VMI Water Polo hosted its conference foes for a weekend showcase. Villanova and Marist were the first to compete, while the Keydets officially made their Aquatic Center debut just hours later against Marist. Read the full release on VMI's first aquatic event here.
The first official NCAA Swim & Dive meet was held on October 28, 2023. Read the full release on VMI's first meet here.
