SwimSwam spent the weekend at the 2017 USA College Challenge at USC, and we accept some thoughts on its successes, few shortcomings, and approaching outlook.
While we at SwimSwam acutely adulation pond and anticipate that anybody abroad should, too, it’s bright that the apple alone absolutely cares about pond already every four years. What pond generally lacks is the “fun” factor: that abstract aspect that makes families appetite to accumulate about their televisions and watch meets (which, according to our expert, are clearly four times added agitative than a football game).
For the aftermost two years, the College Challenge brought that fun agency to the sport, and the athletes accepted the format.
A cardinal of the athletes in appearance bidding that this accommodated was a abundant adventitious to relax, band with bodies who are usually their rivals, and accomplish a little banknote (looking at you, Tom Shields). It brought out the best in United States swimming, in commendations to both teams.
The low-stakes, aerial star-power accommodated drew a appropriate crowd, and connected to dent abroad at swimming’s attainable acceptability as a grueling, basic action that is arbitrary snd nuanced in a way that’s aloof if you haven’t done it yourself.
When you anticipate of the best “fun” contest in able sports, you’ll acceptable be fatigued to the MLB All-Star Game, in which admirers vote in their admired players from anniversary of baseball’s 30 teams to attempt adjoin anniversary added as the unified American League or National League (essentially the aforementioned affair as Pac-12 aggressive as one team).
Though the game’s aftereffect acclimated to adumbrate home acreage advantage for the Apple Series, as of the 2017 game, it was absolutely meaningless. However, Fox Sports appear a seven percent access in viewership from 2016. Clearly, contest bare of acceptation — in that they accept little consequence, not that the accomplishments aural the accident are absurd — can still be exciting.
With its own anatomy meaninglessness that allows for absolute times but discards aggregation outcomes, could the College Challenge advance into swimming’s All-Star Game?
For the accidental spectator, this accommodated was pricey. Adult tickets were $32, for which you could calmly appear addition ball accident that would apparently accept bigger amenities, food, and between-action fan assurance (can’t confirm, but armpit commenters said that the alone attainable bathrooms in the around were port-a-potties).
Swimming is abundantly big-ticket to partake in as an athlete, and if the action is activity to activate to agitate its elitist reputation, the attenuate ticketed accommodated needs to be attainable for added fans.
Despite the admission prices, those admirers who did accomplish it out were lively, admitting continued break for the advertisement commercials amid events.
Given that the absolute US National Team, save Pac-12 athletes, was up for grabs, you ability accept a accidental admired amateur who wasn’t there and you capital to see. But who can abjure that this was an amazing roster? Zero complaints here.
Though this accommodated didn’t pay cutting well, pro athletes had the adventitious to accomplish their cruise to SoCal worthwhile. Tom Shields, for example, came abroad with over $2000 in beneath 24 hours of racing. The award-winning money fits the akin of acuteness and charge that the accommodated required.
Here’s how it endless up to added acceptable contest (note that the FINA Apple Cup stops action money through 6th place, and the 2017 FINA Apple Championships paid through 8th). Also, at Summer Nationals, the 2017 Arena Pro Swim Series money was angled for anniversary place. At the 2018 TYR Pro Swim Series, athletes with accept the adventitious to arbor up a little added banknote through the 50 “shoot-outs,” as well.
Again, the Challenge was absolutely aloof a adventitious for top athletes to suit-up and see area they’re at, so the award-winning money was fitting.
Though the Pac-12 has a cardinal of the nation’s best swimmers, the accommodated all-embracing wasn’t absolutely faster than aftermost year’s. Yes, there are a brace outliers (Katie Ledecky‘s ambit swims and both IM races), but this year’s times were appealing agnate to aftermost year’s.
Women’s top times:
Men’s top times:
While this year’s accommodated may accept added times amassed abreast the acceptable time, to the accidental fan, it’s alone the champ that matters.
Between the two meets, 11 contest got faster on the women’s side, and seven did for the men. This bodes able-bodied for (potential) approaching iterations of the accommodated that could move to added conferences which ability abridgement the abyss of the Pac-12, but not the alone talent.
If the College Challenge moves on, say to the SEC, it would be great. Wherever it goes, the fast pond should chase acknowledgment to the architecture — in theory, any National Teamer alfresco of the accommodating appointment could appear to addition Aggregation USA.
USA Pond should advance itself to extend swimming’s ability nation-wide, abeyant implementing some beat programs wherever the accommodated goes next. It would be abundant to see the alignment action heavily discounted or chargeless tickets to groups who would contrarily not accomplish it to the event, and appearance that pond is accessible to become a above action in the United States.
