The University of Texas announced on March 30 that the UT Tower will be illuminated in burnt orange with the number ‘1’ on Tuesday, March 31, to celebrate the Texas Men’s Swimming and Diving team’s victory at the 2026 NCAA Championship.
This celebration marks an important tradition for the university. Lighting the campus landmark from top-to-bottom in burnt orange with a prominent ‘1’ signifies a national team championship win by any University of Texas athletics program.
Fans are invited to gather in front of Littlefield Fountain on 21st Street between 8 and 8:30 p.m. Central Time to watch as team members take group photos. The Longhorns secured their latest title by earning a total of 445.5 points at the national meet held on March 28 in Atlanta, Georgia. This is the program’s seventeenth NCAA championship and its second consecutive win under head coach Bob Bowman, who is now in his second year leading the team.
According to information released by Texas Athletics, this victory represents not only their first team national championship during the current academic year but also extends their record of consecutive years winning an NCAA team title to eleven (excluding the shortened 2019-20 season). The Longhorns have amassed a total of sixty-nine all-time National Championships, including sixty-five NCAA crowns.
In addition to seventeen championships, Texas Men’s Swimming and Diving has achieved thirty-eight top-three finishes at nationals—including thirteen times as runner-up—and has maintained forty-six straight top-ten placements at NCAAs. Their list of titles spans from their first win in 1981 through victories in recent years such as those recorded since 2015.
