The NCAA recently announced that the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way will be the site for the 2021 NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships.

The event will be presented by the Seattle Sports Commission, in connection with Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Puget Sound, which will serve as host institutions.

“We are honored and excited to have the opportunity to showcase Federal Way and the Aquatic Center under the national spotlight as part of the 2021 NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships,” Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell said in a press release. “We look forward to welcoming the athletes, coaches, their families and swimming and diving fans from all over the country.”

The championships will take place March 17-20, 2021 at the facility.

The city’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee has been intimately involved in the application and the financial support of the event.

Martin Moore, City Council member and chair of the committee, was thrilled with the announcement.

“Area hoteliers, restaurants and tourism venues played a significant role in making this happen,” Moore said in the press release.

The city of Federal Way will contribute $50,000 and other community programs for the event, Moore added.

Ralph Morton, executive director of the Seattle Sports Commission, was elated.

“We are excited to once again host the NCAA Championships,” Morton said in the press release. “The Federal Way facility is one of the nation’s finest facilities for swimming and diving.”

Previously, Federal Way has hosted Olympic Trials for diving, NCAA championships, PAC-12 conference championships, U.S. national events, and Speedo Junior Nationals.

“The King County Aquatic Center has a long and storied history of successfully hosting major swimming and diving championship events at the highest level,” said King County Aquatic Center facilities director Mike Dinwiddie. “We are thrilled that Wednesday’s announcement will lead to additional opportunities for Federal Way to shine and showcase all that it has to offer.”

Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Puget Sound, both located in nearby Tacoma, are delighting in the opportunity to co-host the championship.

“Puget Sound is honored to co-host this prestigious event and bring the first NCAA Division III Championship in any sport to the Pacific Northwest,” Athletic Director Amy Hackett said. “We look forward to showcasing the region to the participants and allow our community to watch elite-level swimmers and divers compete.”

“It is very exciting to showcase the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving championships on the West Coast,” said Laurie Turner, UPS athletic director. “This is a rare occurrence. The opportunity to partner with the Seattle Sports Commission, King County Aquatics Center and the University of Puget Sound to create a first-class event for the student-athletes while providing the northwest swimming community and beyond a championship experience is fantastic.”

For more information about Federal Way and all it has to offer, go to visitfw.org. For more information on the championships, visit ncaa.org.