CSL Postseason Begins Thursday

Stanford competing in first-ever CSL Wild Card

Stanford men’s swimming competes in the inaugural College Swimming League Wild Card match on Thursday, Nov. 5.
The CSL Wild Card begins at 2:30 p.m. PT and takes place in the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, Ind.
All CSL postseason competitions will be televised on ESPN+.
Stanford will be competing against Indiana, California, and Louisville in the CSL Wild Card.
The winning team from Thursday’s Wild Card will advance to the CSL Championship to face off against Virginia, Tennessee, and NC State. The CSL Championship takes place on Friday, Nov. 6.

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.
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. At the end of the regular season, the top three teams automatically qualify for the CSL Championship. Teams 4^th-7^th qualify for the Wild Card match, competing for a spot in the CSL Championship.
The men’s event schedule for Friday’s CSL match is as follows (with the women’s event happening prior):

Skins are elimination-style individual 50-yard races, with the top finishers advancing to the next round. Super Skins are elimination-style relay events in which all rounds are contested as 200 Medley Relays.
Stanford won its CSL debut during Match 3, scoring 550 points and overcoming a late lead from California. Auburn finished third, and Ohio State finished fourth.

In CSL Match 5, Stanford scored 311 points and finished fourth. NC State won with 545 points, while Indiana and California finished second and third, respectively.
The only individual winners Stanford has scored during the CSL season came during CSL Match 3 when Stanford hosted. Ethan Ekk was the first individual winner for the Cardinal, taking first in the 200 back with a time of 1:39.20, earning jackpot points in the process. Sander Sorensen also earned his first collegiate win, finishing first in the 100 free (42.83). To close out the night, the Cardinal won the Super Skins relay event.

Seven different program records were shattered by Cardinal last year, starting in the month of October and finishing in the NCAA Championships in March. Ethan Ekk and Henry McFadden were part of two records: a freestyle event and the 800 free relay.
13 Cardinal were named All-Americans last year. Nine of them are returning to this year’s team.
Stanford won two individual conference titles last year: McFadden in the 200 free and Josh Zuchowski in the 400 IM. McFadden was also named the ACC’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Dan Schemmel, the Goldman Family Director of Men’s Swimming, announced a class of seven student-athletes for the 2026-27 season. A full breakdown of each student-athlete can be found HERE.
Stanford men's swimming/diving has three remaining home dates on the schedule this year. Stanford hosts UC Santa Barbara (Jan. 15), USC (Jan. 16), and California (Jan. 29) in 2027.