The Virginia women are undoubtedly the best team in college swimming. They have won four straight NCAA championships and are the clear favorites to win a 5th this year. If they were a country they would have been 16th in gold medals, and 21st in overall medals at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Last night, they further cemented their undeniable dominance in swimming by breaking their final NCAA relay record with their 6:44.13 swim in the 800 freestyle relay. This time was almost two seconds faster than the 6:45.91 mark set by Stanford back in 2017.
The NCAA record was not even the most impressive feat accomplished by the Virginia women last night. With Gretchen Walsh’s leadoff swim of 1:39.34, the UVA women officially hold every single ACC swimming record.
Coming into this season, the Cavalier women were short two conference records, the 200 backstroke and the 200 freestyle.
Claire Curzan took care of the 200 backstroke record when she set the NCAA record in the event at the Tennessee Invite with her 1:46.87 at the Tennessee invite. Her time broke Kennedy Noble’s conference record of 1:48.43 from last year’s NCAA Championships.
Leading off the relay last night, Gretchen Walsh took down Mallory Comerford’s 1:39.80 200 freestyle record from the 2018 NCAAs to become the 2nd fastest women in history in the event, just behind Missy Franklin’s 1:39.10.
All the ACC Conference Swimming Records:
| Event | Time | Team | Swimmer | Year |
| 50 free | 20.37 | Virginia | Gretchen Walsh | 2024 |
| 100 free | 44.83 | Virginia | Gretchen Walsh | 2024 |
| 200 free | 1:39.34 | Virginia | Gretchen Walsh | 2025 |
| 500 free | 4:28.90 | Virginia | Leah Smith | 2017 |
| 1000 free | 9:30.15 | Virginia | Leah Smith | 2016 |
| 1650 free | 15:25.30 | Virginia | Leah Smith | 2016 |
| 100 back | 48.10 | Virginia | Gretchen Walsh | 2024 |
| 200 back | 1:46.87 | Virginia | Claire Curzan | 2024 |
| 100 breast | 56.09 | Virginia | Jasmine Nocentini | 2024 |
| 200 breast | 2:01.29 | Virginia | Kate Douglass | 2023 |
| 100 fly | 47.42 | Virginia | Gretchen Walsh | 2023 |
| 200 fly | 1:49.17 | Virginia | Alex Walsh | 2024 |
| 200 IM | 1:48.37 | Virginia | Kate Douglass | 2023 |
| 400 IM | 3:55.97 | Virginia | Alex Walsh | 2024 |
| 200 Free Relay | 1:23.63 | Virginia | Nocentini, G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Parker | 2024 |
| 400 Free Relay | 3:05.84 | Virginia | Douglass, A. Walsh, Parker, G. Walsh | 2023 |
| 800 Free Relay | 6:44.13 | Virginia | G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Canny, Curzan | 2025 |
| 200 Medley Relay | 1:31.51 | Virginia | G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Cuomo, Douglass | 2023 |
| 400 Medley Relay | 3:21.01 | Virginia | Nocentini, G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Parker | 2024 |
The Texas men and women also hold all the conference records in the Big 12, but they are not on a four year NCAA Title Streak.
The Virginia women not only hold every ACC Record, 13 of the events they have the record in they also have the NCAA record in.
The other six events? They are ranked 2nd.
This feat prompted a tweet from the Reddit College Football Twitter account stating: “There is an argument to be made that UVA Women’s Swimming and Diving is the most dominant sport in D1 athletics at this moment, especially taking into account Olympic medals won by current and recently graduated swimmers”
There is an argument to be made that UVA Women’s Swimming and Diving is the most dominant sport in D1 athletics at this moment, especially taking into account Olympic medals won by current and recently graduated swimmers https://t.co/L7fecno8L8
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) February 19, 2025
There is not a consensus in the comments of the post about whether this is true or not, and people have offered some alternative programs. Let’s compare the two most popular suggestions, OU softball and Penn State Wrestling:
Note: This discussion is about current dominance, not all-time results
| Team | Penn State Wrestling (Men) | OU Softball | Virginia Swimming (Women) |
| Consecutive NCAA Titles | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Consecutive Conference Titles | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Regular Season Meet/Game | Last Loss: 2019 | 59-7, 61-1, 59-3, 56-4 over last four seasons | Last Loss: 2022 |
| Recent Olympians | Paris 2024: 2/16 athletes- 12.5% | Tokyo 2021 (not contested 2024): 5/15 athletes- 33.3% | Paris 2024: 6/20 athletes- 30% |
| Olympic Medals | 1 Bronze | Silver | 11 total (5 gold, 5 silver, 1 bronze) |
| Misc | Broke NCAA team scoring record last year | First college softball team in history to four-peat | All 5 NCAA relay records and 1st or 2nd in every single event |
Not all of the comparisons are completely fair, particularly due to the number of games softball has to play in comparison, but what do you think? Are the Virginia women the most dominant team in Division 1 athletics right now?
It’s almost impossible to compare across sports and eras. Is it long term dominance? Is it having the best team against all comers in history (a modern team would almost always be the best by this measurement)?
If you talk about dominance within a particular era, as good as Virginia is, the Indiana men’s swimming of the late 1960s and early 1970s, which won six consecutive titles, is likely better as for a few weeks time after the 1970-71 season, current or former Hoosiers held 9 of the 12 individual world records. Among the swimmers were Mark Spitz, Gary Hall Sr. and John Kinsella. It was a team that may have been able to beat an all star team of… Read more »
John Wooden led UCLA to 10 NCAA basketball championships during his tenure as head coach from 1948 to 1975. His teams won these titles in the following years:
• 1964
• 1965
• 1967
• 1968
• 1969
• 1970
• 1971
• 1972
• 1973
• 1975
Of these, seven were won consecutively from 1967 to 1973, which remains an unmatched streak in NCAA history.
They also had an 88 game win streak that lasted from January 1971 to January 1974.
In all of collee sports, Wooden and UCLA have to be #1. I remember as a young kid ND beating them and how much of a shock it was, But in modern times, UVA has a good argument. Going for 5, and it’s obvious that it would be 6 given the Covid year psychs. Not really close. When a program spans that long with kids coming and going you know it. Just a fact.
Going forward things might be different. But it’s been special. And who knows, may continue. Respect to some other really special teams and kids who are awesome.
Penn State Wrestling
…and by a country mile
PSU Wrestling is the answer 11 or 13 titles and State College, PA is the Hub of the Olympic wrestling in the USA. They set the record for largest margin of victory in a national title and currently half their team is ranked 1 in their weight class.
fun fact: out of the 19 events, a Virginia swimmer (or UVA in general for relay events) has the fastest lifetime best in 18 of them out of all current collegiate swimmers. Only event missing is the 100 breast where Alex and Gretchen are 3rd and 4th after McSharry and Dobler
This is good clickbait for swim fans, but using Olympic success as a criteria to judge NCAA dominance seems a bit misguided. Also this conveniently chooses a 4 year window to look at NCAA dominance to show that UVA swimming is on a 4 year steak where as PSU wrestling is only on a 3 year streak, but PSU has won 10 of the last 13 NCAA titles. Does UVA have any titles prior to this four year window?
No it’s 11 of last 13 contested. One other in that time period was second place. Last year, they set the NCAA record for the largest point spread between 1st and 2nd in the team scoring (172.5 – 72.5) and many think this years team is even more dominant.
The question shouldn’t be if Virginia is
The best college team today, it should be is it the best college team of all time. And that question can’t be answered till NCAA’s are completed
Best team all time? 95-96 bulls runner up to ‘85 Bears
Pure comedy
Take away the Covid Year extension
Naw! They would have won in 2020 so they’d still be at 5
Agree. The 800 Free Relay record certainly deserves an asterisk.
But wasn’t the point “at this moment”? Can’t every other team in every other NCAA sport use the COVID year for any athlete who competed in 2021?
I’m not sure I see why this is relevant in a debate regarding the most dominant college team today.
Up there for sure. All time though it would have to be UConn womens ball
Or UNC women’s soccer.
UCLA men’s basketball
Penn State wrestling are two that come to mind.