By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam
The University of Texas lit up the famous Main Building Tower in honor of the men’s swimming and diving national title. The tower was lit up a burnt orange and displayed the number ‘1.’
The Texas men captured their first National Championship since 2021. This also marked the program’s 16th NCAA title in history. The team was under first-year head coach Bob Bowman who was announced as Director of Swimming and Diving on April 1, 2024.
Bowman arrived to lead the NCAA program after Eddie Reese retired last year. Bowman previously spent time with Arizona State, leading the Sun Devils to an NCAA championship in 2024. The Texas men finished 7th at the 2024 NCAA Championships with 189 points.
Leading the way for the Longhorns was Hubert Kos who was on the winning team with Bowman at Arizona State. Kos followed Bowman and transferred to Texas and won NCAA titles in the 200 IM, 100 back, and 200 back to score 60 individual points. The team scored a total of 490 points, 19 more than 2nd place Cal’s 471. Indiana finished in a close 3rd place as well with 459 points.
The lighting of the tower dates back to 1931 when famous engineer Carl J. Eckhardt Jr. became the head of the school’s physical plant. The tower was first lit up by Eckhardt Jr. in 1937. The tower is lit for events such as winning a national championship, beating rival Texas A&M, and to celebrate commencement.
See photos of the tower lighting below:
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