The Myers-McLoraine Pool at the Ratner Athletics Center will remain closed through at least the remainder of spring quarter and potentially into early summer as the University works to replace a federally mandated drain cover system, according to the UChicago Athletics website. The pool has been closed since late February.
While the University has said a new cover must be fabricated and approved before reopening, it has not provided a specific timeline or additional details about the circumstances leading to the closure.
Drain covers are part of federally mandated safety systems designed to prevent entrapment; covers typically must be replaced every four to six years, based on manufacturer lifespan.
In an interview with the Maroon, first-year varsity swimmer Kylie Stuart said athletes were told the closure was related to suction drain covers that had not been replaced within the required timeframe.
A University spokesperson directed questions to the UChicago Athletics website and did not provide additional details regarding the reopening timeline. Head swim coach Jason Weber, diving coach Jeff Mitchem, and athletics administrators all referred inquiries to the University spokesperson.
An email sent to Ratner Aquatics members on February 24 and reviewed by the Maroon described the closure as arising “due to an administrative dispute involving a site inspection” and said the University was working to address the issue.
In response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the Maroon, the Chicago Department of Public Health stated that the agency has “no responsive documents” related to the pool and has “not received any notification or inspection report” for the facility in 2026.
The closure came during the Division III swimming season and affected training for the 2026 NCAA Championships at Indiana University, held March 18–21. Stuart said the team adjusted by practicing at multiple off-campus locations, with schedules often finalized only days in advance.
Weber “would send us a spreadsheet at the beginning of the week, and then we would try to piece together groups of as many people as possible… and then he would try to find pools around that time, so we could get half the team in at one time, half at another time. So we would get our practice schedules three days before it was happening,” Stuart said.
The disruption added to the demands of winter quarter finals and championship preparation. “Winter [quarter] I had three, four finals, and managing that was then also commuting to the pool, and the stress of coming up to [national championships], and the stress of finals, all of that ramping up together,” Stuart said. “I think my biggest struggle was just time management.”
She added that the swim and dive teams have not been given a clear timeline for reopening.
“During finals week, they were supposed to get a timeline. Basically, they were supposed to be reopened right around [championships] or before, and then I don’t know what happened. But it’s still closed and we haven’t heard anything.”
Stuart said this is the longest time she has gone without swimming in eight years. “I feel like swimming is a little niche in this [respect]—you have to keep your feel for the water.”
