1,265 fans showed up to support the Texas Longhorns’ swimming and diving program at their meet on Friday — a meet in which they went on to defeat Indiana’s top 10-ranked women’s and men’s swimming and diving teams in a dominant fashion.

This was the highest number of fans to ever attend a Texas swimming and diving dual meet, and the program felt the presence of their fanbase throughout the night.

“This is the best place in the country to have a dual meet,” said women’s head coach Carol Capitani, as she addressed the crowd prior to the start of event finals.

Cheers echoed through the natatorium as Capitani and men’s head coach Bob Bowman expressed appreciation for their fans, and the meet kicked off shortly after.

“I think the kids brought a lot of energy to the racing, which is what we wanted,” Bowman said.

Many fans arrived at the swimming center long before the official start of event finals. 

Lines spilled out the door and onto the street for pre-meet festivities, which included a photo opportunity with Bowman from 4:30 to 4:50 p.m. and an autograph signing with Paris 2024 Olympians, including former Longhorns Carson Foster and Erica Sullivan, former Georgia Bulldog Chase Kalisz and former A&M Aggie Shaine Casas from 4:45 to 5:15 p.m. 

The crowd was made up of fans of all ages, and supporters of the program filtered into the stands after obtaining their autographs and photos. 

Admission was free to all spectators, as were these additional experiences. The first 500 fans were also given free burnt orange “Olympians Made Here” koozies to celebrate Texas swimmers and divers who competed in Paris over the summer. 

The support staff for the swimming and diving program facilitated an interactive fan experience through the planning of these events and the atmosphere reflected the excitement of the crowd. 

Texas swimmers even led fans in the “Texas Fight” chants from the side of the pool, further engaging the fans that came out to watch them.

“Last time we did a meet like this was North Carolina State here two years ago, and it was just as hype,” said graduate student swimmer Emma Sticklen. “The environment was so awesome, and I truly believe that when there’s an environment like this, there’s nothing I can’t do.”

Texas swimming and diving has a long season ahead, but both the athletes and the fanbase showed on Friday that they are ready for a record-breaking season.

Texas will host multiple invitationals throughout the season, with the next dual meet being an SEC matchup against Georgia on Wednesday, Dec. 18.