By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
The International Swimming League (ISL) is coming back, it says.
Less than two weeks after the league resurfaced on social media for the first time in three years, shortly before the announcement of the new College Swimming League (CSL) next year, Commissioner Ben Allen told Reuters that the ISL is planning a return in 2026 after four years.
“ISL is coming back,” Allen told Reuters in an exclusive interview. “And we’re really excited about the prospect of a relaunch.”
Allen said the “ideal scenario” would be having the ISL restart in the fall of 2026–the same time the CSL is planning its launch–with a firm commitment to starting in 2027 if the initial date doesn’t happen.
The ISL has been out of action for four years, with its last public announcement coming in March 2022, when the league canceled its fourth season due to effects from both the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the league’s founder and primary backer, Konstantin Grigorishin, being a Ukrainian oligarch.
The ISL hosted three full seasons, beginning with a seven-meet inaugural campaign in 2019 (with each meet in a different location) before hosting back-to-back seasons in 2020 and 2021 in Budapest, working under COVID restrictions.
After the initial season had eight teams and seven matches, the league expanded to 10 teams, with 13 matches during the 2020 season and then 18 in 2021.
Allen said the ISL will be looking towards a new business model in its relaunch, focused more on sponsorship and media partnerships rather than relying on a single backer.
He was also confident the league would be coming back at a key time, in the lead-up to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, with one of the ISL’s objectives being to keep swimmers visible throughout the Olympic cycle.
The ISL is planning to return its seven-meet model in its relaunch, with matches split across North America and Europe and at least one stop in Asia and possibly in the Middle East, Allen said.
Allen also said the league has used the break to take feedback from broadcasters, fans, athletes and coaches, and hopes to make the product even better for TV.
One thing the league is reportedly weighing is switching the format from a two-day to a one-day match schedule.
“We’re going to be doing a couple of experiments and trials across the next couple of months to figure that out,” Allen said.
The ISL has been in legal battles with World Aquatics since its inception in 2018, but Allen said the league would return regardless of any outcomes in the courtroom.
World Aquatics reached a $4.6 million settlement with former ISL swimmers earlier this year, but a separate lawsuit filed by the ISL against World Aquatics is still ongoing. Both suits were filed in 2018.
The ISL has come under criticism for late payments to athletes throughout its existence, and as of December 2024, at least one team had yet to receive its solidarity payments from the 2021 campaign.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: International Swimming League Reveals Plans For Relaunch In 2026 After Four-Year Hiatus
