In order to better serve its student-athletes, the University of Tennessee Men's and Women's Athletics Departments have joined forces to construct a new facility for the use of the swimming and diving teams. Ground breaking for the state-of-the-art Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center was on Oct. 29, 2005.

The Jones Aquatic Center, located adjacent to the existing Student Aquatic Center, will be a first-class complex capable of hosting the Southeastern Conference and NCAA Championships, as well as national and international events. The location of the new aquatic center will give the Tennessee swimmers and divers the luxury of training at one of the few universities in the country that has three full-size 50-meter pools within 200 feet of each other.

"This building represents a commitment on the part of the university to do things in a first-rate, first-class manner," Lady Vol head swimming coach Matt Kredich said.

"To have one complex that includes one outdoor 50-meter pool, an indoor 50-meter pool and the new 50-meter competition pool will, in our opinion, give Tennessee the leading aquatic facility in America," said Tennessee men's head coach John Trembley. "This in itself is spectacular. But the real measure is the amount of support the athletic department and the community are giving to Tennessee's swimming and diving programs."

The facility is named in honor of Allan Jones, who made a $4 million challenge gift as part of Tennessee's STEP UP Capital Campaign for athletic facilities.

The facility will be highlighted by an eight-lane 50-meter by 25-yard competition pool. With a depth of eight feet from end to end, it will be one of the fastest collegiate pools in the country. A separate competition diving well features five platforms with heights varying from 1/2-meter to 10 meters and two one-meter and three-meter springboards on the main competition end of the well. Other amenities include permanent seating for 1,200 spectators with a spacious deck area to accommodate up to 1,500 additional individuals, teams and other personnel comfortably during meets.

Also included in the new facility is a weight room, training room, and the University of Tennessee Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame. The complex will clearly be one of the finest collegiate swimming and diving facilities in the country.