Plans for the renovation of the International Swimming Hall of Fame have run from bland to grand. Visions for the 46-year-old facility are coming back down to earth, but with discussions still under way, actual construction remains a ways off.

That's not putting a damper on the month-long 76th Annual College Swimming Coaches Association Forum, set to begin Dec. 15

More than 1,500 student athletes from 50 NCAA Division I, II and III swimming and diving teams are scheduled to participate.

The forum is a regular winter institution for swim teams from the East and Midwest, combining a welcome escape from the cold weather back home with a chance to train and compete in a variety of events under the Florida sun.

The special event of the College Swim Coaches Association of America was born in 1935, when Colgate University swimming coach Sam Ingram got invited to bring his team down from upstate New York to vacation in Fort Lauderdale.

The city was then but a tiny Southern town struggling to recover in the aftermath of the Great Depression, but blessed with a municipal swimming pool large enough for collegiate events. A year later, the forum attracted 100 participants, and a tradition was born.

It was a swim win-win – bringing in valuable pre-Christmas tourism, and giving the college teams a chance to thaw out during the iciest part of winter.

This year's activities include 1- and 3-meter dive meets, a 50-meter sprint swimming competition, and an open water swim, among other things.

The events are free and open to the public.

For more information call the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex at 954-838-4580.