The University of Delaware has announced its 2016-17 men’s and women’s swimming and diving schedules.

The schedules are highlighted by three home meets at Rawstrom Natatorium in the Carpenter Sports Building, including a matchup with longtime Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rival Towson in the regular season finale in January.

Head coach John Hayman, now in his 28th year of the helm of both squads, will lead his teams into 10 regular season events in addition to the season-opening Blue-Gold Intrasquad exhibition on Saturday, Sept. 24, at Rawstrom Natatorium.

The three regular season home meets include a season-opening tri-meet with Georgetown and St. Francis of Pennsylvania (women’s team only) on Oct. 1; a dual meet with local rival La Salle University on Nov. 12; and the regular season finale against Towson on Jan. 28 for Senior Day.

The remainder of the schedule includes dual meets at George Mason on Oct. 15; a CAA pod meet at James Madison with the University of North Carolina Wilmington and William and Mary on Nov. 5-6; a Jan. 7 dual at Drexel; and a Jan. 15 dual at Iona. William and Mary is the defending CAA champion on both the men’s and women’s sides.

Among the invitational meets in which the Hens will compete in 2016-17 are the Franklin and Marshall Winter Invitational on Nov. 18-20 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and the annual USS Winter Nationals in Atlanta on Nov. 30-Dec. 3.

The season will reach its pinnacle on Feb. 22-25 when the Blue Hens join the rest of its conference opponents for the CAA swimming and diving championships at the Christiansburg (Virginia) Aquatic Center.

Both UD teams finished fourth at the championships a year ago but Hayman expects solid improvement as he welcomes back a strong nucleus of returning swimmers along to mesh with a talented group of newcomers.