STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford women's swimming & diving opens the 2026-27 campaign by hosting Match #3 of the inaugural College Swimming League (CSL) season on Friday, October 2.
Competing alongside the men's program, Stanford will square off against Auburn, Cal, and Ohio State. The meet begins at 5:30 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN+.
The CSL is a new, dynamic league poised to revolutionize college swimming with high-octane, fan-focused competition. The league's first season will feature a six-match regular season and a two-match postseason in a four-team format during the fall season, with each participating institution competing in two regular-season matches.
Programs will field a roster of 28 swimmers — 14 men and 14 women. Each CSL match has 30 events: 15 for the men and 15 for the women. The four teams earn points based on their combined men’s and women’s scores.
The event schedule for Friday’s CSL match is as follows, with the women's race taking place before the men in each event:
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- 200 Back
- 200 Breast
- 500 Free
- 50 Free Relay
- 200 Fly
- 100 IM
- 100 Back
- 100 Free
- Skins
- 200 IM
- 100 Breast
- 50 Free
- 100 Fly
- 200 Free
- Super Skins
Stanford will also compete in a CSL match on Friday, Oct. 16 in Walnut, Calif. That match will include California, Indiana, and NC State.
At the end of the regular season, the top three teams automatically qualify for the CSL Championship. Teams 4th-7th qualify for the Wild Card match, competing for a spot in the CSL Championship.
Stanford returns to the pool after finishing as the national runner-up for the second straight year in 2026 in Paul A. Violich Director of Women's Swimming Chris Lindauer's first season on The Farm. The effort marked the program's best NCAA finish under a first-year head coach since 1989, when Richard Quick led Stanford to a national championship in his first season on The Farm.
Stanford returns nine student-athletes who have earned NCAA All-America honors in their careers this season, headlined by two-time 2025 NCAA Champion Caroline Bricker and the 2026 NCAA Platform Dive champion Ellie Cole.
Tickets for Friday's CSL Match at Avery Aquatic Center are available here.