The 2025 Open Water Championship will take place on December 13, 2025, at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida.
Please check back here for updates as additional event details become available.
The 2025-2026 CSCAA Open Water Championship will take place on December 13, 2025 at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota. USA Swimming has once again designated the #CSCAAOWC as an approved qualifying event. The top five finishers for each gender earn invites to the USA Swimming 5K Open Water Championships.
Eligibility & Qualifying
Participation is limited to current NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA member institutions who meet the specific event qualifying criteria. All student-athletes must be eligible as certified by their member institution. Athletes must have achieved one of the below qualifying times between January 1, 2025 and the entry deadline. Meter conversions are acceptable.
QUALIFYING CRITERIA
500y Freestyle 1000y Free 1650y Free 5k
Women 5:10.00 10:30.00 18:00.00 1:09.00
Men 4:50.00 10:00.00 17:00.00 1:04.00
Entries
Registration will be limited to 175 individuals per gender/wave.
Details on registration will be listed below as they become available:
Entry fee of $100 per individual
Open registration information will be available soon
Payment will be required upon registration. Payment may be made via Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover or PayPal.
To allow for appropriate planning, refunds will not be issued after October 2, 2025
The entry form is not an eligibility report; it is the coaches’ responsibility to know the eligibility of each athlete. Once you complete your entry, you will be sent confirmations via email. Please keep all of these and bring them with you to the meet (just in case).
Rules
The full event manual is available above. Current USA Swimming Rules and Regulations will govern this event. Please see Part Seven of the USA Swimming Rules & Regulations for complete list of Open Water Rules.
Swimwear
No swimmer shall be allowed to use or wear any device that may be an aid to his/her speed, endurance, or buoyancy.
A maximum of two (2) caps may be used.
Wet suits, flotation aids or any similar items, and anything used to maintain body heat, except a reasonable application of body grease, are not allowed.
Team Events
Team events will be conducted concurrently with individual events, with the results achieved in the individual event used to compute the team scoring.
Teams will be entered automatically based on team entries.
Maximum of five athletes per team. Exhibition participants will be determined based on space availability.
Awards
Individual champions shall be determined and awarded in women’s and men’s competitions.
An individual male and female champion will be declared for each division.
Awards shall be given to all first-through-eighth place finishers in each individual event.
Team trophies shall be awarded to teams placing first-through-third.
2025 Race Day Schedule and Practice Availability
All events will occur at Nathan Benderson Park: 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle Sarasota, FL 34235
Friday, December 12, 2025
Nathan Benderson Park Water Access and Availability - Time TBD
Virtual Technical Meeting - Time TBD
Saturday, December 13, 2025
Men’s 5k Race: 8:00 a.m.
Women’s 5k Race: 10:00 a.m.
Awards will follow the Women’s 5K
Below are hotel options near Nathan Benderson Park offering discounted rates for Open Water Championship participants. Be sure to book by November 12, 2025 to secure the group rate.
Courtyard by Marriott at University Town Center
Rate: $219.00 per night
Address: 8305 Tourist Center Drive, Sarasota, FL
Distance from Race Site: ~2 miles
Booking Link
Residence Inn By Marriott
Rate: $259/TwoBdr $209/OneBdr per night
Address: 850 University Parkway, Sarasota, FL
Distance from Race Site: ~7 miles
Booking Link
Courtyard by Marriott Sarasota
Rate: $189 per night
Address: 850 University Parkway, Sarasota, FL
Distance from Race Site: ~7 miles
Hampton Inn & Suites Sarasota/Lakewood Ranch
Rate: $209 per night
Address: 8565 Cooper Creek Blvd
Distance from Race Site: ~2 miles