Regan Smith’s Olympic Dreams: From Stanford to the NCAA Portal, and Now with the Texas Longhorns

In March, Regan Smith made headlines when she entered the NCAA transfer portal. However, recent reports suggest that she has withdrawn from it. Athletes in the portal are classified as either “active” or “withdrawn,” and Smith was initially listed as “active” before the change to “withdrawn.” Sources close to the situation have revealed that the NCAA deemed Smith ineligible as a professional athlete.

Smith had a standout freshman season at Stanford in 2021-2022, winning the NCAA title in the 200 backstroke and placing 2nd in the 200 fly and 3rd in the 100 back. She scored 53 individual NCAA points and helped the team finish in 3rd place. After the season, she turned professional and began training under Bob Bowman at Arizona State University. Bowman later took on the role of Director of Swimming at the Texas Longhorns, where Smith continued to train.

In recent times, Regan Smith showcased her talent by winning several races at Pro Swim-San Antonio including 100 back, 200 back, and 200 fly, finishing 4th in 100 fly. She has set her sights on competing at Paris Olympics after winning silver at World Championships last summer.