CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) - The 2025-26 Atlantic Coast Conference Swimming & Diving season kicks off this weekend as three league programs hit the water on Friday, September 26.
Florida State will host Purdue, Tampa, West Virginia and Rice this Friday and Saturday, September 26-27, in the FSU Invite. The Seminoles are coming off a season where they finished in seventh place in the 2025 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships on both the men’s and women’s side, and 18th (men’s) and 36th (women’s) at the 2025 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships.
The Seminoles welcome back reigning men’s 100 back ACC Champion and 2025 All-ACC team honoree in both the 100 back and 100 fly in Michel Arkhangelesky. Arkhangelesky was named to the 2025 CSCAA All-American team along with returners Tommaso Baravelli, Sam Bork, Logan Robinson and Max Wilson. The women return Alice Velden, who was named to the 2025 CSCAA All-American Second Team in the 400 medley relay.
Duke will host Marymount, East Carolina and conference foe Boston College on Friday in Durham, North Carolina. Last season, Duke finished 11th on the women’s side and 12th on the men’s side in the 2025 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships.
The Blue Devils return senior Kaelyn Gridley, the reigning women’s 100 breast ACC Champion and 2025 All-ACC selection. Gridley finished fourth in the 200 breast at the 2025 NCAA Championships and was named to the 2025 CSCAA All-American First Team for both the 100 and 200 breast.
North Carolina will host Queens in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Friday. Ben Delmar returns for his junior year for the Tar Heels after the 2024-25 season where he earned two ACC Men’s Swimmer of the Week honors and a spot on the 2025 All-ACC team in the 400 IM. Sebastian Lunak (2025 All-ACC Team - 200 fly) also returns for his junior season. The Tar Heels finished in fourth place on the women’s side and sixth place on the men’s side in the 2025 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships.
Weekly Schedule
Friday, September 26
Queens at North Carolina | All Day
Marymount, East Carolina & Boston College at Duke | All Day
FSU Invite | Tallahassee, Florida
Florida State, Purdue, West Virginia, Rice & Tampa | All Day
Saturday, September 27
FSU Invite | Tallahassee, Florida
Florida State, Purdue, West Virginia, Rice & Tampa | All Day
Noting ACC Swimming and Diving
- Notre Dame enters the 2025 season under the new leadership of Head Swimming and Diving Coach Michael Norment.
- The Stanford women’s swimming & diving program enters the 2025 season under the new leadership of Paul A. Violich Director of Women’s Swimming Chris Lindauer, former Notre Dame head coach.
- Stanford women’s swimming & diving holds the title of the only program in the nation to finish Top 10 in every NCAA Championship dating back to the 1975-76 season, most recently finishing as the runner-up in the 2025 NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships.
- Virginia has won the last five NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship titles.
- Virginia is set to participate in the 2025 CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge, which boasts each Power 4 conference’s top-performing team, November 21-23, 2025.
- The 2026 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships will take place February 15-21, 2026, at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The facility will also host the 2026 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Championships.