SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers if the addition of Chris Guiliano makes the Texas men favorites for NCAAs this March:
Question: Does adding Chris Guiliano put the Texas men over the top for the 2025 NCAA title?
RESULTS
- Yes – they’re now favorites – 66.8%
- No – better teams out there – 19.2%
- They were already winning – 14.0%
After their lowest finish in nearly two decades last season, the Texas men’s team has been revitalized since Bob Bowman took over as head coach, with several key additions headlined by Olympic champion Hubert Kos, U.S. Olympian Aaron Shackell and former #1 ranked recruit Rex Maurer.
Those changes immediately made the Longhorns national title contenders in 2025 in the minds of many, with them topping our poll asking readers who they’re picking to win the Men’s NCAA Championship just over two months ago.
Although Texas led the poll, it was very close with Cal within 1% behind them and Indiana also in the thick of things.
However, since then, two elite names have announced they’re joining the Longhorns later this season: Polish backstroker Ksawery Masiuk, and then recently, Olympic gold medalist Chris Guiliano.
Masiuk is a top-tier addition who could be a scorer in the backstroke events, but Guiliano has a proven track record in the NCAA and is truly a game-changing addition that could put Texas over the top.
He scored 45 individual points last season for Notre Dame, and was a key contributor on the relays, splitting as fast as 17.94 in the 50 free (200 free relay), 40.43 in the 100 free (400 medley relay), and leading off the 800 free relay in a 200 free PB of 1:30.36.
When Guiliano made the announcement that he was headed to Texas—which came due to the Notre Dame men’s swim program being suspended for the season—the conversation immediately turned to what this means for Texas’s NCAA title prospects, so we took it to the SwimSwam Poll.
In a lopsided result, just over a third of voters, 66.8%, believe the addition of Guiliano makes them championship favorites after they previously weren’t. An additional 14% already had Texas as frontrunners, meaning more than 80% of readers are picking the Longhorns to regain the title in 2025.
The remaining 19.2% of readers are picking the field, with Indiana seemingly the leading candidate outside of Texas to win. The Hoosiers have a strong group of swimmers, including ASU transfers Owen McDonald and Zalan Sarkany, coupled with an elite diving group.
In our recent edition of the NCAA Power Rankings, Indiana retained the top spot, with Texas moving up to #2 after receiving two first-place votes (compared to four for Indiana and one for Cal).
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Which invitational will produce the most NCAA-leading times?
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ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE
The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
Nope!
Chris needs to sit out an entire NCAA Season just like everyone else. No exceptions!
Huh? Transfers don’t have to sit out a season these days.
Make$ Texa$ the favorite$
Bob “Benedict Arnold” Bowman
Since he entered the transfer portal outside of the window, I would guess that he needs a waiver to compete this season. Is it known that he already has that waiver or that he has a high likelihood of receiving it? The NCAA recently made it harder to get those waivers, but I don’t think they foresaw a school suspending a whole team. (The NCAA not foreseeing something? Crazy, I know.)
I think SwimSwam looked into this and said he would be eligible for a waiver because he was not implicated in the conduct that led to the suspension.
The people have spoken!
I’m curious to see who the third guy joining in January 2025 will be