Lucas Oil Stadium during the 2024 Olympic Swim Trials. Photo from USA Swimming.
INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis has been selected to host the 2028 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, according to multiple anonymous sources familiar with the decision.
USA Swimming and Indiana Sports Corp. are expected to announce the selection Tuesday, June 3, although some event details are still being finalized, three sources told Indiana Business Journal.
The individuals requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly ahead of the official announcement.
The 2028 trials are currently scheduled for mid-June and are expected to span up to nine days at Lucas Oil Stadium. The event will determine the athletes who will represent the United States on the men’s and women’s Olympic swimming teams at the Los Angeles Games later that summer.
USA Swimming’s return to Indianapolis follows a record-setting performance by the city as host of the 2024 Trials. That event marked the first time a swim meet was held in a professional football stadium and drew widespread praise for both its scale and atmosphere.
More than 285,000 spectators attended the 2024 Trials, a 60% increase from the previous record set in 2016 in Omaha, Nebr. Opening night drew 20,689 fans — then the largest crowd ever for a swim meet — only to be surpassed eight days later, when the finals drew 22,209.
Lucas Oil Stadium’s successful transformation into a world-class swim venue and its strong attendance figures helped solidify the city’s bid for a return engagement. The AquaZone fan festival at the Indiana Convention Center also broke attendance records.
While USA Swimming has not publicly commented, the announcement is expected to coincide with the start of the Toyota U.S. National Championships at the IU Natatorium on June 4, which will feature hundreds of top swimmers and help shape future international rosters.
Indianapolis’ bid was not without challenges. Organizers had to navigate a busy tourism calendar and uncertainty within USA Swimming’s leadership following the August 2024 departure of CEO Tim Hinchey III. The decision to again stage the Trials in an NFL stadium mirrors plans for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where swimming events will take place at SoFi stadium in Inglewood, California.
However, the decisions were reportedly made independent of each other, with the IOC finalizing the SoFi selection before Indianapolis was awarded the 2024 Trials.
