WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Home meets in October, November and January at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center headline Purdue Swimming & Diving’s 2025-26 schedules.
The Boilermakers have five home meets (three co-ed) on the schedules. Missouri, the Iowa women, the Southern Illinois men and the Illinois women all visit West Lafayette for dual meets.
The home opener is once again the Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiate on Saturday, Oct. 11. Annually held on a Saturday in October, it features teams of all NCAA divisions from all across the state as the largest home meet of this season. It was renamed in honor of Purdue’s longtime head coach in the summer of 2023, about a month after Ross retired and closed out a 42-year coaching career.
However, the Boilermakers will not be hosting the Purdue Invitational in November for the first time since 2018 (excluding the fall of 2020). Instead, the Boilers will travel to Columbus for their midseason invitational – competing at the Ohio State Invitational. The four-day invite will feature a Tuesday to Friday schedule (Nov. 18-21). The Purdue women won the Ohio State Invitational in their last appearance (November 2014) at the annual midseason showcase. The Purdue men have not attended the meet since the fall of 2011.
Schedules Unveiled for Seasons Ahead at Aquatic Center
Home meets in October, November and January at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center headline the 2025-26 schedules.
The Boilermakers’ season opener is the final weekend of September. After opening in the state of Michigan a year ago for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign, Purdue has committed to return to the Be Better Invitational. Created in the fall of 2022 as a benefit meet supporting the Be Better Foundation, the season-opening meet returns to Michigan’s Canham Natatorium in Ann Arbor. Featuring Hope College and Calvin University as well as the Wolverines, the single-session invite has also been held in Grand Rapids (2022) and Holland (2024). The Be Better Invitational and Foundation promotes mental health awareness in honor of the late Ian Miskelley, a former Michigan swimmer.
Purdue will return to the Great Lakes State for Halloween Weekend, competing against Cincinnati and Oakland at a two-day triple dual in Rochester. The Oakland Aquatic Center is one of the premier facilities in Michigan as a leading factor in OU’s steak of 47 consecutive conference titles for the men and 31 straight for the women.
The Big Ten Championships are in the Upper Midwest this season. Minnesota hosts the women’s championships (Feb. 18-21) for the first time since 2021 and the men’s championships (Feb. 25-28) make their debut at Wisconsin’s Soderholm Family Aquatic Center. The men will get an early look at UW’s pool when they visit Madison for a dual meet on Saturday, Dec. 6.
A revamped meet format will debut at the NCAA Championships in March as Georgia Tech’s McAuley Aquatic Center hosts both national championship meets. Atlanta also hosted both meets as recently as 2022.
The annual two-day Big Ten Triple Duals vs. Minnesota and Northwestern are set to be contested in Evanston this year during the final weekend of January. Purdue is up next in the three-year rotation to host again next season.
Senior Day Weekend is set for Jan. 9-10 and features a visit from the SIU men Friday and the Illinois women Saturday.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
• Home Meets: 5 (3 Co-Ed)
• Season Opener: Michigan’s Be Better Invitational (Sept. 26 in Ann Arbor)
• Home Opener: Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiate (Oct. 11)
• Senior Day Weekend: Jan. 9-10 – Men vs. Southern Illinois on Friday, Women vs. Illinois (& Men’s Intrasquad) on Saturday
• More Home Duals: Co-Ed vs. Missouri (Oct. 18), Women vs. Iowa (Nov. 7)
• Midseason Showcase: at Ohio State Invitational (Nov. 18-21)
• Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiate: Boilermakers host schools from around the state for largest home meet (Oct. 11)
CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON
• Big Ten Championships in the Upper Midwest: Women at Minnesota (Feb. 18-21), Men at Wisconsin (Feb. 25-28)
• Zone C Diving Championships: Co-Ed NCAA Championships qualifier expected to be held in Michigan (Projected March 12-14)
• NCAA Championships: Georgia Tech’s McAuley Aquatic Center hosts Women (March 18-21) and Men (March 25-28) as revamped meet format debuts
NATIONALS DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON
• USA Diving Winter Nationals: Annual end of year showcase – Location TBA (Projected Dates: Dec. 7-14)
• CSCAA Open Water Championship: Selected women race outdoors in Sarasota, Fla. (Dec. 13)
MORE ROAD TRIPS OF NOTE
• Selected Men’s Swimmers Open at Two-Day Florida State Invitational: Sept. 26-27 in Tallahassee
• Halloween Weekend Two-Day Triple Dual in Metro Detroit: Boilermakers vs. Oakland & Cincinnati in Rochester, Mich.
• Men Get Early Look at UW’s Pool Before Big Tens: Dec. 6 in Madison
• Annual Rivalry Dual with Hoosiers: Jan. 24 in Bloomington
• Northwestern Hosts Two-Day Big Ten Triple Duals: Jan. 30-31 in Evanston (also featuring Minnesota)
2025 DAN ROSS INDIANA INTERCOLLEGIATE FIELD (More TBA)
• Purdue, Ball State, Evansville, IU Indy, Southern Indiana, Valparaiso, Indiana Wesleyan, Rose-Hulman, Wabash