As in earlier years, SwimSwam’s Energy Rankings are someplace between the CSCAA-style twin meet rankings and a pure prediction of NCAA end order. SwimSwam’s rankings have in mind how a workforce seems in the mean time, whereas conserving the top of the season in thoughts via issues like a workforce’s earlier trajectory and NCAA scoring potential. These rankings are by nature subjective, and a jumping-off level for dialogue. For those who disagree with any workforce’s rating, be at liberty to make your case in our feedback part.
James Sutherland, Braden Keith, Spencer Penland, Robert Gibbs, Yanyan Li, and Anya Pelshaw contributed to this report.
It’s been an extended, thrilling summer time however the pleasure by no means stops within the swimming world, as a result of fall means it’s time for one more NCAA season. In contrast to the ladies’s September energy rankings, the primary intrigue within the males’s rankings is the race on the prime. The reply to “how open is the race for the 2025 NCAA title” adjustments relying on who you ask, however the SwimSwam writers presently mission it to be a two-team race.
Different lingering questions are how briskly the Texas Longhorns will rebuild and the way nicely the Virginia Cavaliers can course-correct earlier than their high-powered recruiting class arrives on campus subsequent fall.
Whereas the author ballots on the ladies’s facet largely all had the identical 25 groups (in various order) there’s extra selection on the lads’s facet, particularly within the Twentieth via Twenty fifth-place vary. Extra parity in the place the boys’ highschool class of 2024 dedicated implies that there are extra applications combating for these spots, together with an growing variety of mid-major applications.
Honorable Mentions: SMU Mustangs, Harvard Crimson, Kentucky Wildcats
#25: LSU Tigers -1 (2024 NCAA Rank: 24)
All of LSU’s NCAA qualifiers from final season return. The one upperclassmen on their NCAA roster final season had been Mitch Mason and Griffin Curtis, so it is going to be fascinating to see what the Tigers can do now they’ve gained that have. Just a few of their relays simply missed scoring in 2024, and Jere Hribar now has a 12 months of yards swimming within the financial institution. -SK
#24: Military West Level Black Knights + (2024 NCAA Rank: N/A)
Final season, Kohen Rankin was Military’s first swimmer to qualify for NCAAs since 1987. His 100 breast PB would’ve scored in 2024, and now this system provides Johnny Crush, arguably the perfect recruit they’ve ever picked up. With him on the roster and Rankin now having managed that double taper, Military ought to double their NCAA qualifiers this season and take the following step by placing factors on the board. -SK
#23: College of Pennsylvania Quakers +7 (2024 NCAA Rank: 30)
Penn’s pool is closed for reconstruction this season, forcing the workforce to observe elsewhere, however Matt Fallon alone might propel them again into the highest 25, and so they’ve obtained an intriguing recruiting class to look at. -SK
#22: Pittsburgh Panthers: +2 (2024 NCAA Rank: 24)
Cameron Money is nice for factors on 3-meter and platform, which alone is sufficient to maintain Pitt within the prime 25. He was 18th on 1-meter final 12 months, so there’s a strong probability he might rating in all three disciplines this season. -SK
#21: Minnesota Golden Gophers -1 (2024 NCAA Rank: 20)
There’s loads to love about the best way that Minnesota averted careening down the NCAA standings after Max McHugh’s commencement. After a Twentieth-place end, they’ve obtained a strong basis to construct on as they return each their particular person NCAA factors scorers and herald freshman Jacob Johnson at what looks like the proper time. -SK
#20: Purdue Boilermakers +3 (2024 NCAA Rank: 23)
Purdue’s divers will maintain them inside the highest 25 for one more season. -SK
#19: Florida State Seminoles +2 (2024 NCAA Rank: 21)
Peter Varjasi‘s commencement hurts, however so long as Florida State does an affordable job changing his relay legs, these relays will maintain them ranked. -SK
#18: Alabama Crimson Tide +1 (2024 NCAA Rank: 19)
Charlie Hawke and Kaique Alves stay key items to Alabama’s effort to climb again up the standings. Selecting up Toni Dragoja and Kyle Micallef ought to assist reinvigorate the dash freestyle relays too. -SK
#17: USC Trojans +5 (2024 NCAA Rank: 23)
Including simply Luke Maurer and Diggory Dillingham does loads for USC; they supply fast worth to the relays, which ought to be an space of focus for any workforce seeking to rapidly rise within the standings. The pair are a part of an fascinating group of arrivals for USC that might assist them climb again into the highest 20. -SK
#16: Louisville Cardinals -1 (2024 NCAA Rank: 15)
Louisville’s additionally introduced in a robust recruiting class this season that can strengthen the workforce. The explanation I’ve obtained them falling a spot beneath their 2024 NCAA end is as a result of I believe Virginia course corrects extra dramatically, not as a result of I believe they’re a worse workforce than they had been final 12 months. -SK
#15: Ohio State Buckeyes -2 (2024 NCAA Rank: 13)
Ohio State is battling some large losses this season, together with multi-time NCAA champion Lyle Yost’s commencement (although he’ll be on deck as a coach). Nevertheless, they return the remainder of their particular person NCAA scorers from final season and I’m to see what Alex Axon and Tristan Jankovics will do coming off making their first Olympic groups for Canada over the summer time.
#14: Michigan Wolverines – (2024 NCAA Rank: 14)
I’ve Michigan ranked just a few spots larger than everybody else, however I actually like the place the Wolverines are at this season. Firstly, they return all 10 members from their NCAAs workforce final 12 months, the place they completed 14th. Michigan constructed numerous momentum of their first season underneath head coach Matt Bowe and his employees, and there’s no motive to suppose that momentum shouldn’t carry over into this season. Furthermore, they convey in a strong freshman class, headlined by Canadian Olympian Lorne Wigginton, who ought to instantly make a huge impact in quite a lot of occasions. -SP
#13: —
(Tie) #12: Texas A&M Aggies +4 (2024 NCAA Rank: 16)
The Aggies strengths in IM, diving, and the 200 breaststroke ought to once more drive them this season–their first as a mixed program. How far these strengths will carry them is an enormous matter of debate, they’re one of many groups with the widest vary in the place they had been ranked this time round. -SK
(Tie) #12: Auburn Tigers – (2024 NCAA Rank: 12)
Auburn graduated Aidan Stoffle, however are ranked to carry regular at twelfth largely because of their skill to attain in all 5 relays. -SK
#11: Virginia Cavaliers +6 (2024 NCAA Rank: 17)
Virginia’s large recruiting class continues to be a 12 months away, however including Spencer Nicholas and David King, together with getting Jack Aikins again kickstarts the Cavaliers momentum as they give the impression of being to climb again up the standings after falling to seventeenth final season.
#10: Georgia Bulldogs +1 (2024 NCAA Rank: 11)
Luca Urlando will rating 50 factors for the Bulldogs individually, to not point out the impression he’ll have on the relays. Jake Magahey‘s again for a fifth 12 months, a few Olympic redshirts return, Drew Hitchock highlights the recruiting class–the door is broad open for the Bulldogs to return to the highest 10. -SK
#9: Virginia Tech Hokies – (2024 NCAA Rank: 9)
The Hokies return primarily the identical roster as final season; I’m going to go forward and pencil them in for a similar #9 end because the final two years. -RG
#8: Stanford Cardinal – (2024 NCAA Rank: 8)
Andrei Minakov, Jack Ryan, and Henry McFadden all returning assist staunch the lack of the Maurer brothers. -SK
#7: Arizona State Solar Devils -6 (2024 NCAA Rank: 1)
We’re going to seek out out early whether or not Herbie Behm can maintain the Solar Devils’ momentum going after all of the expertise misplaced to transfers. The star Ilya Kharun regarded actually good within the intrasquad, however this workforce’s large problem will discovering these next-tier guys who can leap into the highest tier. -BK
#6: Tennessee Volunteers – (2024 NCAA Rank: 6)
Tennessee didn’t swim an 800 free relay at NCAAs final 12 months, as a result of they didn’t qualify one – which is wild for a program of this caliber. They’ve a extremely good freshman class coming in, with some good 200 freestylers (particularly Koby Bujak-upton), however I’m unsure if it’s sufficient to actually get them right into a prime 8-10 place that they’d must run Texas. -BK
#5 NC State Wolfpack – (2024 NCAA Rank: 5)
NC State has completed a masterful job of getting guys certified for NCAAs the previous few years, however to be able to crack the following tier of groups, they’ve obtained to get extra guys into A-finals. -RG
#4: Florida Gators -1 (2024 NCAA Rank: 4)
Florida shedding Macguire McDuff hurts them, however except Texas finds a prime European commit for mid-season, I believe Florida nonetheless has the sting. -BK
I initially had Florida simply forward of Texas, however the Macguire MacDuff information was simply sufficient to swap the 2 groups, for now. The Ksawery Masiuk information sealed the deal. -RG
#3: Texas Longhorns +4 (2024 NCAA Rank: 7)
Texas discovered an enormous mid-season commit from Europe after I wrote my ideas on Florida. The 2-time World Championship bronze medalist within the 50 again Ksawery Masiuk flipped from NC State to Texas. Mixed with the McDuff departure from Florida, I believe that’s sufficient to bump Texas into the highest 3. -BK
Texas’ roster is considerably higher than final season, and so they simply gained a mid-season addition in Ksawery Masiuk, who will probably instantly be the most effective backstrokers within the NCAA. -SP
Is Ksawery Masiuk gonna remedy the Texas sprinting drawback? We’ll see. -YL
#2: California Golden Bears – (2024 NCAA Rank: 2)
Because the season begins, this looks like a coin flip between Cal and Indiana. For the second, I’ll give the good thing about the doubt to the workforce that’s been a perennial title contender for the final 15 years. -RG (Ranked Cal #1)
Look — I get the Indiana hype. This can be a workforce that has added lots of large items this season, and it doesn’t have a weak point stroke-wise. However Cal has established stars and expertise getting it completed on the large stage, so I’m going to go together with the Golden Bears on prime proper now. -YL (Ranked Cal #1)
I believe this 12 months’s meet comes all the way down to the wire. Zachary Tan seems like a star. If Cal can work out Mewen Tomac‘s eligibility, I’d most likely flip this, as a result of he’s a 50-70 level impression by himself. -BK (Ranked Cal #2)
#1: Indiana Hoosiers +3 (2024 NCAA Rank: 4)
I agree that proper now it’s a coin flip between Cal and Indiana. Macguire McDuff‘s departure from Florida has an impact on this combat as nicely as a result of it implies that each Florida and ASU–the groups that gained 4 of the 5 NCAA relays final season–are each lacking key relay items and in my view, Cal is in the perfect place to capitalize. Cal’s a constant risk that’s not going away, however with Indiana assembling an extremely robust switch class that makes it clear they’re constructed to win *now*, I’m giving them the sting right here at first of the season. -SK
Author Ballots
James
Braden
Robert
Spencer
Yanyan
Anya
Sophie
#1
Indiana
Indiana
Cal
Indiana
Cal
Indiana
Indiana
#2
Cal
Cal
Indiana
Cal
Indiana
Cal
Cal
#3
Florida
Texas
Texas
Texas
Florida
Texas
Texas
#4
Texas
Florida
Florida
Florida
NC State
Florida
Florida
#5
NC State
Tennessee
NC State
NC State
Texas
NC State
NC State
#6
Tennessee
NC State
Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee
#7
Stanford
Stanford
Arizona State
Arizona State
Arizona State
Virginia Tech
Arizona State
#8
Arizona State
Arizona State
Stanford
Stanford
Stanford
Stanford
Stanford
#9
Virginia Tech
Texas A&M
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech
Arizona State
Georgia
#10
Georgia
Virginia Tech
Georgia
Michigan
Georgia
Georgia
Virginia Tech
#11
Texas A&M
Virginia
Auburn
Georgia
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Virginia
#12
Virginia
Auburn
Ohio State
Auburn
Virginia
Virginia
Auburn
#13
Michigan
Michigan
Virginia
Virginia
Auburn
Auburn
Michigan
#14
Auburn
Georgia
Michigan
Texas A&M
Michigan
Michigan
Ohio State
#15
Ohio State
Ohio State
Louisville
Ohio State
Louisville
Louisville
Texas A&M
#16
Louisville
USC
Texas A&M
Louisville
Ohio State
Ohio State
Louisville
#17
Alabama
Louisville
Alabama
USC
USC
Florida State
Alabama
#18
Florida State
Alabama
USC
Alabama
Alabama
USC
USC
#19
USC
Minnesota
Minnesota
Florida State
Florida State
Alabama
Minnesota
#20
Minnesota
Purdue
Florida State
Purdue
Purdue
Pitt
Florida State
#21
Pitt
SMU
Purdue
SMU
Penn
Penn
Purdue
#22
Purdue
Florida State
LSU
LSU
Minnesota
Purdue
Pitt
#23
Penn
Military
Pitt
Military
LSU
Kentucky
Harvard
#24
Military
Penn
Harvard
Pitt
Pitt
Military
Penn
#25
Harvard
Pitt
Military
Minnesota
Harvard
Minnesota
Military
