Six Schools Return to MPSF Swimming & Diving
Photo by: Denver Athletics
The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) has announced the return of six schools to its swimming & diving membership, beginning with the upcoming 2026-27 season. Men’s and women’s teams from CSU Bakersfield, Seattle University, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and the University of Denver will enter the conference, while the women from the University of San Diego will also rejoin. All six schools have previously competed in MPSF Swimming & Diving. The MPSF’s 17th swimming & diving championship is scheduled to feature a record 24 teams---16 women and eight men---and will take place February 17-20, 2027. The previous high in MPSF Swimming & Diving membership was during the 2011-12 season, which featured 19 teams.
In addition to the six schools mentioned above, St. Mary’s College will enter its inaugural season of competition as an MPSF participant, as announced last September, joining current members Idaho, Incarnate Word, Pacific, Pepperdine, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Texas Rio Grande Valley, and Utah Tech.
Since hiring MPSF Commissioner Foti Mellis in 2021, the conference has added 87 teams, 42 schools, and eight sports. "We are proud to welcome these exceptional programs back to the MPSF," said Mellis. "Their rich history in our conference and commitment to excellence will elevate an already outstanding championship experience. We look forward to seeing them compete as part of a record-setting field in 2027."
This will be the third stint for CSU Bakersfield in the MPSF (2022-24; 2011-13). The CSUB men won the inaugural MPSF Championship in 2011. The program has totaled 13 individual MPSF titles, including the all-time conference record in the 200 Free from 2024 (Vili Sivec).
UC San Diego also returns, having competed in the MPSF from 2019-24, highlighted by the 2022 women’s squad snapping Hawaii’s run of five straight titles. UC San Diego holds the MPSF’s 200 breast women’s record from 2023 (Katja Pavicevic).
UC Santa Barbara competed in the MPSF men’s competition from 2015-2024 and, on the women’s side, as an original member from 2011-2024. The Gaucho men won back-to-back MPSF titles in 2017-18 and never finished lower than third place in their 10 seasons in the conference. UCSB owns the MPSF’s all-time 500 Free record from 2019 (Logan Hotchkiss). The women’s squad has recorded seven second-place MPSF team results and has never finished lower than fourth. They hold the two oldest all-time female MPSF records from 2014 in the 100 and 200 Fly (both by Andrea Ward).
Denver competed in the MPSF on the men’s side during the 2013 season, finishing fourth out of 10 teams, while the Pioneer women will make their MPSF debut. The Denver Men and women have dominated the Summit League for the last 13 years, with the women winning all 13 of those conference team titles and the men bringing home the trophy all but once.
Seattle University also returns to the MPSF in 2026-27. The men competed in the MPSF from 2011-13, while the women were participants in 2011 and 2012.
The University of San Diego women’s program returns to the MPSF after a one-year absence. The Toreros had been MPSF members since the inaugural swim & dive season of 2011. In the closest competition in MPSF Women’s Championship history, the Toreros posted a 2025 runner-up finish.
The MPSF enters 2026-27 with 127 total national championships across 10 sports, dating back to 1992, including a conference-record six titles during the 2025-26 academic year. The MPSF’s 117 NCAA titles lead the nation amongst Division-I Non-Power Four Conferences.
MPSF Swimming & Diving information, including specific championship details, will be located on the conference website’s Championship Central page at
https://mpsports.org/. Follow the MPSF on social media @MPSFSports.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT JOINING MPSF SWIMMING & DIVING
"We're excited to rejoin the MPSF for swimming and diving. The conference offers a strong level of competition that will help our student-athletes continue to grow and compete at a high level. It's a great fit for our program, and a positive step for the swimmers and divers who put in the work every day to represent CSUB."
-Dr. Sarah Tuohy, CSU Bakersfield Director of Athletics
"We are thrilled to join the MPSF as we begin a new era for CSUB Swimming & Diving. The MPSF provides a highly-competitive platform for our student-athletes and creates an opportunity for them to challenge themselves at a high level while continuing to raise the standard within our program. We are excited for the opportunities this partnership will create for our team, our university, and the future of CSUB Swimming & Diving."
-Shane Pelton. CSU Bakersfield Head Coach
“We’re thrilled to join the MPSF in men’s and women’s swimming and diving next season. I’d like to thank the conference for helping us find a great home for our student-athletes and thank both of our programs for their patience while we found them an appropriate spot to continue to compete for championships while several of our other athletic programs make the transition to the West Coast Conference this summer. I’m excited for the future of our swimming and diving programs.”
-Josh Berlo, University of Denver Vice Chancellor for Athletics and Ritchie Center Operations
“Our program is very excited to be able to compete in the MPSF next season. It will provide a greater level of competition that will push our student-athletes to perform at higher levels as they strive to earn qualifying times for the national championships. I’d like to thank Josh Berlo and the University’s leadership for finding our program a great home for our program to be able to continue to compete for championships.”
-Alicia Hicken-Franklin, University of Denver Head Coach
"We are very excited and grateful to be joining the MPSF for the 2026-27 school year. They have been running great swimming championships for years, and we look forward to being a part of what will be one of the largest and most competitive D-I championship meets in the country next winter. It has been a roller coaster of conference realignment among swim programs in the western part of the country the past couple years, but we along with all other WCC swim teams are thrilled to be a part of the MPSF for this coming season.”
-Joe Dykstra, Seattle University Head Coach
"I want to express my gratitude to MPSF and Commissioner Foti Mellis for opening the door and providing our team with the opportunity to compete in the conference championship, which is eligible for NCAA qualification.
We have cherished memories from MPSF, particularly since our women’s team achieved its first-ever UCSD D-I championship in 2022. We are thrilled about the upcoming championship."
-Marko Djordjevic, UC San Diego Head Coach
"Being back in the MPSF will be an exciting opportunity for our program. The conference is deep, talented, and highly competitive, which will challenge us to continue raising our standards. I look forward to seeing how many personal-bests we achieve, the memories we create together, and the NCAA qualifiers and all-conference performances that emerge along the way."
-Jaclyn Rosen, UCSB Head Coach
“We’re excited to rejoin the MPSF ahead of the 2026-2027 season. Our Torero swimming and diving program has a long history in the MPSF, and returning was a natural fit for us. We’re especially appreciative of Commissioner Mellis and his staff for providing us with the opportunity to continue competing in the MPSF and beyond."
- Kimya Massey, University of San Diego Associate Vice President/Executive Director of Athletics
"We are excited and appreciative to be rejoining the MPSF this season. With the addition of several new teams to complement the existing membership, the conference will be very competitive with depth throughout all scoring opportunities."
- Mike Keeler, University of San Diego Swimming and Diving Head Coach