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Tufts announces new proposed aquatics center for swimming and diving teams
The university says the aquatics center would replace the roughly 80-year-old Hamilton Pool, which currently cannot host conference championship meets, requiring the teams to travel for some practices and competitions.
Tufts University plans to build a new aquatics center on its campus for the school’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams, the university announced Friday.
The university said it plans to submit proposals to the City of Medford for the facility, which would be located on College Avenue, a road that runs through the campus. If approved, construction is expected to be completed by the start of the fall 2028 semester.
“Alongside academics and co-curricular activities, our support for athletics is a critical part of providing a transformative experience for Tufts students,” Tufts President Sunil Kumar said in a statement. “The new aquatics center will undoubtedly create a more vibrant student life for not only our student-athletes but for all our students.”
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The facility will primarily serve the university’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams, which currently practice in both on- and off-campus pools, according to the university.
The program has seen recent competitive success, including the women’s swimming and diving team winning back-to-back New England Small College Athletic Conference championships in 2022 and 2023. The men’s swimming and diving team finished in the top 10 of the NCAA Division III standings from 2023 through 2025.
The proposed aquatics center would replace the roughly 80-year-old Hamilton Pool, which the university said cannot host conference championships meets, requiring the teams to travel for some practices and competitions.
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According to the university, the new facility would feature a 50-by-25-meter Olympic-sized swimming pool, two 1-meter and two 3-meter diving boards, spectator viewing space, locker rooms for the men’s and women’s teams, and a timing system and scoreboard.
The pool would be about twice the size of the existing facility, allowing both teams to practice simultaneously and enabling Tufts to host conference and regional competitions, the university said.
“The opening of our new aquatics center will be a defining moment in the history of varsity sports, club sports, recreation, and fitness at Tufts,” Ryan Pisarri, the university’s director of athletics, said in a statement.
Pisarri said the new facility eliminating the need for off-campus travel has additional benefits.
“It gives [Head Coach] Adam Hoyt and his coaching staff more time each week to teach, mentor, and inspire our swimmers and divers to become even stronger leaders, people, and champions,” he said.
Beyond athletics, the aquatics center would support campus recreation programs and community activities, according to the university. Undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff would have access to open swim hours and programs such as water aerobics.
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The university also said the facility aims to expand swim lesson offerings for residents of Medford and Somerville and could host special events, including a proposed high school swimming classic between the two cities — similar to the annual basketball event held at Cousens Gym.
Additional spaces around the pool, including a “wet classroom,” would support wellness programming and gathering areas for students, faculty, and staff, the university said.
The aquatics center will be located near the recently completed Sol Gittleman Park and Vouté Courts at the Tufts Tennis Center. A tennis pavilion with a team room and restrooms for athletic fields is also planned for the area, according to the university.
Tufts said it has raised $21.7 million toward the project so far.
Hoyt said the team culture has long emphasized relationships and community.
“I live two blocks behind the pool with my wife and two kids. Coaching here is a family affair,” he said. “What I think about when it comes to Tufts swimming and diving is a whole lot of Jumbo love, family togetherness, and lifelong relationships.”
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