The dates and the venue
The IHSAA publishes Feb. 12-13 for the 2026-27 girls swimming and diving state finals. The association lists first practice on Oct. 26, first contest on Nov. 9, sectionals on Feb. 4 and Feb. 6, and diving regionals on Feb. 9.
The IU Natatorium prints the same weekend on its events calendar. The February 2027 block reads "12-13 IHSAA Girls Swimming & Diving Championships." One footnote applies: events are subject to change. The calendar was updated Sept. 2, 2026.
Both listings name one address. The IHSAA gives the site as the Indiana University Natatorium, IU Indianapolis, 901 W. New York St., Indianapolis. The Natatorium contact page gives 901 West New York Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202.
Admission follows the association pattern. The last contested finals, Feb. 13-14, 2026, sold tickets at $15 per session for general admission, with free entry for children five and younger in general admission seating. A limited $35 reserved seat covered both days, capped at eight tickets per purchase, and all tickets ran digital through Eventlink. The 2027 admission schedule is not posted yet.
What the Natatorium publishes for a group
The Natatorium Who We Are page lists Arlene McDonald as Event Coordinator on 317.442.2166 and arlmcdon@iu.edu. That page is the group contact route for a school or club that needs an answer the venue site leaves open.
The same page names Sean Lynch as Aquatic Safety and Rental Manager on 317.274.4642, and Director Ed Merkling on 317.274.6783 for facility rental.
The venue describes itself as the largest indoor aquatic facility in the United States. It seats 4,700, has hosted national-level meets including the Olympic Trials, draws more than 100,000 competitive swimmers and fans a year, and has taken a $20 million renovation.
A 4,700-seat deck sets the parking demand across two days.
The $35 permit at the Pro Shop desk
The Natatorium parking page publishes one rate of its own. Natatorium and Carroll Stadium patrons may buy a monthly parking permit at the Pro Shop desk inside the Natatorium for $35.
The page files that permit under IU Indianapolis Sports Complex members. The Pro Shop Desk sits on the lower level. The stairs to the lower level sit on the east side of the building, near the entrance to the parking garage.
The permit runs by the month, so it covers every campus entry in that month.
What one entry costs
The Natatorium sends visitors, spectators and meet attendees to IU Indianapolis Parking and Transportation Services. That office controls and operates campus parking, and the Natatorium names the sports garage as the most convenient lot.
IU Indianapolis publishes these visitor rates: 0-2 hours $5.00, 2-4 hours $7.00, 4-6 hours $9.00, 6-8 hours $11.00, 8-12 hours $14.00, 12-24 hours $18.00. A lost garage ticket costs $18.00.
The garages run fully automated. A driver takes a ticket, pays at an Automated Pay Station before the exit, and can also pay by credit card at the exit lanes around the clock. The pay stations accept credit cards, and many take cash.
The Sports Complex Garage sits at 875 W. New York St. with a published clearance of 7'0". Campus garages publish a clearance limit on each level.
What a two-day team should budget
Session times set the parking bands. The 2026 finals opened gates at 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday for a 6 p.m. swimming preliminaries, then at 6:45 a.m. ET on Saturday for 9 a.m. diving preliminaries and semifinals and 1 p.m. championship and consolation finals. The 2027 session clock is not posted.
Measure a car against those windows. A Friday park from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. falls in the 4-6 hour band at $9.00. A Saturday park from 6:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. falls in the 8-12 hour band at $14.00. The two-day per-entry total is $23.00.
Two full-day entries cost $18.00 twice, or $36.00. The $35 monthly permit runs $1.00 under that figure and covers the rest of the month.
The budget follows the park pattern. A car parked for event length pays $23.00 for the two days. The $35 permit first wins at four days of $9.00 to $11.00 parking, at three days of $14.00 parking, or at two days of full-day parking at $18.00.
A caravan of four cars pays $92.00 on the per-entry route at those two bands. Four monthly permits cost $140.00.
A bus needs the lot route. The parking office cannot discuss arrangements until the organization files an application with IU Indianapolis Event and Conference Services. The office then offers validations, codes and hangtag permits, and an external organization may reserve a parking lot. The office answers at JagsPark@iu.edu and 317-274-4232. That contact is the bus budget line.
The room side of the same weekend
The finals occupy two days, so the room nights follow the arrival day. bookMyTeam lists 273 hotels available in Indianapolis, and its RFP form carries "Swimming Meet" among the group types. The platform publishes a group rate for a block of 10 or more rooms per night, 15-40% below the Best Available Rate, 50 or more hotels contacted per destination, responses in 24-72 hours, and $0 in fees with no markup. Submit a request at bookmyteam.org/rfp/submit and size the block on the group rate calculator.
