WASHINGTON (October 3, 2025) - This is a big weekend of sports with Howard University Department of Athletics. No, it is not homecoming. That is three weeks away.
 
For those of you who have been under a rock the past three years and have not followed the swimming and diving program at The Mecca, it is the annual Battle at The Burr (BATB). The event features one of the most exciting swimming and diving events in all of college sports. The headline is the dual competition between the Howard men's and women's swimming & diving teams against crosstown Georgetown University.
 
But this is what BATB separates itself from all other collegiate meets. Each year, the event, which started in 2022 under Howard Director of Swimming and Diving Nicholas Askew, gets bigger and bigger.
 
"We are excited about the Battle at The Burr," said Askew, who has taken the program to great heights during his tenure. "There will be standing room only, a DJ, food all kinds of festivities for the fans, alums and families. And of course, the competition between Howard and Georgetown. Since we decided to make this our home opener each year, it has grown each year and has sold out."
 
The festivities officially get underway Friday night (Oct. 3) with the entree. It will kick off with a VIP event featuring the film, "When Everybody Swims." Through the voices of Olympic athletes, water safety experts and families who have experienced both triumph and loss, When Everyone Swims explores the essential role of swimming in our lives. The film dives into the challenges of learning to swim, the barriers that keep people from swimming. It reveals how something as simple as swim lessons can mean the difference between life and death. Former Olympians Cullen Jones and Lily King are featured, along with members of the Howard swim and dive team, including Coach Askew.
 
Following the film, there will be a panel discussion, including Askew, Jones, Joy Reid, former host of the ReidOut on MSNBC and now a podcast host, Howard alum and assistant coach Miriam Lynch, Ph.D, and Howard Vice President of Athletics Kery Davis.
 
Then, Saturday (Oct. 4), the fun begins. In addition to the annual highly competitive meet between the crosstown rivals, there will be a number of exciting activities. There is a reason it is called the Party at the Pool. 
 
The event has officially sold out; however, it will be live streamed. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m., and the competition and party at the pool will officially get underway at 2 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the official Howard Athletics website at www.hubison.com.