Swimming is coming to the University of St. Thomas! As part of the athletic department's expansion into NCAA Division III, swimming will be added to the Celt Athletic Department. With men's and women's swimming, UST Athletics will sponsor 19 sports starting in 2023-2024. The University's addition of an NCAA Swimming program will provide more opportunities and benefits to the UST and Houston communities. 

According to Director of Athletics Todd Smith the timing was perfect, "There are so many quality high school swimming athletes in the Houston area we knew it would be the perfect addition for us. We are excited to partner with UTHealth and offer this opportunity to the Houston area swimming community."

As members of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), men's and women's swimming is a natural fit. Currently, five member schools are competing. St. Thomas will join Austin College, Centenary, Trinity, Colorado College and Southwestern as they compete for a SCAC title. In addition, St. Thomas' NCAA provisional transition ends this fall, making the Celt teams eligible to compete in NCAA National Tournaments. 

A search for a men's and women's Head Swimming Coach is underway. A coach will be hired this summer and given the 2022-2023 year to recruit a roster before competition begins in the 2023-2024 athletic year. The team will train and compete at the UTHealth Auxiliary Enterprises - Recreation Center located in the heart of Houston's beautiful Texas Medical Center.