Home Discover Scores Watch Listen

Sign In

Loading episode…

Spot Sports

Everything worth following in sports

Content

Videos
Podcasts
Channels
Blog

Company

About
Support

Legal

Terms of Service
Privacy Policy
Affiliate Disclosure
YouTube Terms

Spot Sports may earn a commission from links to streaming services and retailers. See our affiliate disclosure. Not affiliated with any league, team, or streaming service.

© 2026 Spot Sports. All rights reserved.

Open water swimming is poised to grow with new competitive opportunities for college teams

Swimming

Open water swimming is poised to grow with new competitive opportunities for college teams

Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide›

Jul 23, 20268:04

Next listen

Launch & Gifting Coach Mark's Public Policy Playbook: Aquatics and Recreation 4 Yinzers

Sep 15, 202614:22

Navigating Federal and Provincial Sport Funding: Barry Healy's Fight for Local Recreation in BC, Canada - sorta like PPS needs

Sep 12, 202618:39

ISCA Hall of Fame Tribute video for IU's Ray Looze

Sep 9, 20265:07

All from Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide→

Episode context

Listen

Keep going with Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide.

Listen here or keep browsing the show and related sport coverage from here.

Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide show Swimming podcasts

Episode Notes

In Heavy Or Not, #106, we bring a dream into reality for long-time Southern Illinois University Head Swim & Dive Coach, presently retired, Rick Walker.

Open Water Festival Sign up at https://swimisca.org/event/east-coast-open-water/

News Release about College Teams at https://read.swimisca.org/courses/open-water/lessons/isca-hosts-open-water-festivals/topic/press-release-college-swimming-gets-an-upgrade-in-september-with-a-5k-and-open-water-knockout/

Coach Walker has been a leading force for USA Open Water Swimming Teams in recent years — and he helps with Pan Am Aquatics and speaks to coaches at WAFSU.org / UCSSC seminars.

Let's get to the core of the dream of what Open Water events mean for athletes and coaches. Get the details on the upcoming East Coast Open Water Festival and how a new college and university division is being created. Plus, you can get involved.

Open water as an additional collegiate season – benefits for Title IX compliance and athlete counts.
East Coast Open Water Festival at Smith Mountain Lake (Sept 2026) is with a new college & university division.
Race formats: knockout 1,500 m, 5K, 1‑mile, splash‑and‑dash (swim + run) and more.
How open water training boosts pool performance for distance and sprint swimmers.
Resources & future events: online prep course (reed.swimisca.org), May Jamestown meet, coach/parent participation.
New Open Water Course, for free, for limited time:
https://read.swimisca.org/courses/open-water/

Next listen

All from Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide →

Launch & Gifting Coach Mark's Public Policy Playbook: Aquatics and Recreation 4 Yinzers

Next listen

Launch & Gifting Coach Mark's Public Policy Playbook: Aquatics and Recreation 4 Yinzers

Sep 15, 202614:22

Related Podcasts

Unfiltered Waters

Katie Hoff

Social Kick • Swim Culture & Stories

Social Kick

The SwimSwam Podcast

SwimSwam

The Effortless Swimming Podcast

Brenton Ford

Low Tide Boyz, a Swimrun Podcast

Low Tide Boyz

Listen guide

How do I listen to this episode of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide?

"Open water swimming is poised to grow with new competitive opportunities for college teams" is an episode of Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide. Runtime 8 min. Published July 23, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.

Step by step

Open Spot Sports. Get the free Spot Sports app for background play, lock-screen controls, and offline downloads.
Or stream right here. Tap play on the episode card above. No app needed.
Browse the full podcast. Jump to the Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide page for the rest of the catalog.
Or subscribe in any podcast app. Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide ships on a standard RSS feed, so Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, and Pocket Casts all work too.

Quick FAQ

When was this episode published?: July 23, 2026.
How long is this episode?: 8 min.
What podcast is this from?: Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide. Browse the full back catalog on the show page.
What does this episode cover?: Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide covers swimming. This episode runs on the show's regular cadence.

Sources

Get the Spot Sports app
Open water swimming is poised to grow with new competitive opportunities for college teams
Heavy Or Not, The OG Swim Guide