Every Power 5 swimming conference championship meet has an A, B, and C final, yet the NCAA Championships do not. We decided to do the math to see if the addition of a ‘C’ final would impact the final team rankings.
The addition of the C final changes the scoring dramatically, as individual scoring begins at 30 points instead of 20, and relays begin at 60 points instead of 40.
Here are our findings for the top 25 teams:
2022:
| 2022 Place With C Final | 2022 Score with C final | 2022 Actual Team and Score |
| Virginia | 994.5 | Virginia – 551.5 |
| Texas | 774 | Texas – 406 |
| Stanford | 764.5 | Stanford – 399.5 |
| NC State | 557 | Alabama – 288 |
| Alabama | 548 | NC State – 279 |
| Louisville | 458.5 | Louisville – 196.5 |
| California | 407 | Michigan – 184.5 |
| Michigan | 378.5 | California – 180 |
| Ohio St | 368 | Ohio St – 165 |
| Tennessee | 366 | Tennessee – 127 |
| Kentucky | 341.5 | Indiana – 116 |
| Indiana | 326 | Kentucky – 115.5 |
| Georgia | 316 | Florida – 115 |
| UNC | 296 | UNC – 109 |
| Florida | 292 | Georgia – 104.5 |
| Southern California | 262.5 | Southern California – 102 |
| Wisconsin | 260 | Wisconsin – 100 |
| Northwestern | 204.5 | Northwestern – 73 |
| Virginia Tech | 165 | Arizona – 52.5 |
| Arizona | 131 | Penn – 44.5 |
| Minnesota | 125 | Minnesota – 43 |
| Missouri | 120 | Miami (Florida) – 41.5 |
| Arizona St | 107 | Virginia Tech – 37 |
| Texas A&M | 85 | Duke – 36 |
| Duke | 85 | Missouri – 34 |
As seen in the 2022 data, the top 10 teams stay the same with the exception of the fact that NC State and Alabama switch places by 1, with the same going for Cal and Michigan. Some of the largest benefits are seen from Missouri and Virginia Tech moving up 4 spots each.
2023:
| 2023 Place With C Final | 2023 Score with C final | 2023 Actual Team | 2023 Actual Score |
| Virginia | 1013 | UVA | 541.5 |
| Texas | 779.5 | Texas | 414.5 |
| Stanford | 664.5 | Stanford | 333 |
| Louisville | 591 | Louisville | 288 |
| NC State | 543 | NC State | 263 |
| Ohio St | 494 | Ohio State | 223 |
| Indiana | 469.5 | Indiana | 219 |
| Tennessee | 459 | Tennessee | 214 |
| Florida | 403 | Florida | 179 |
| UNC | 365 | UNC | 152 |
| California | 332 | California | 137 |
| Southern California | 304 | USC | 125 |
| Georgia | 275 | LSU | 112 |
| Alabama | 254.5 | Alabama | 111 |
| Wisconsin | 236 | Wisconsin | 100 |
| LSU | 196 | Georgia | 90.5 |
| Texas A&M | 165 | Minnesota | 53 |
| Kentucky | 165 | Arizona | 52 |
| Michigan | 144 | Kentucky | 49 |
| Duke | 142 | VT | 46 |
| Northwestern | 138 | Duke | 42 |
| Virginia Tech | 135.5 | Miami (FL) | 36 |
| Auburn | 126 | Michigan | 33 |
| Minnesota | 107 | Purdue | 32 |
| Arizona | 105 | Texas A&M | 26 |
Just as seen with the 2022 data, the 2023 addition of the C final does not cause any huge changes. In fact, the 2023 change has no effect on the final team standings for any of the top 12 teams.
Texas A&M benefits greatly from the addition of the C final as they would move up from 25th to 17th place.
Reduce scoring to 1 Final or Top 8 for relays, get rid of diving, reduce overall Team sizes at NCAA and make it truly competitive.
Nah.
I don’t think it would change the scores places, but 1st place is normally 32 / 64 points and not 30/60 when scoring Top 24.
The Top 8 scoring would be 32, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22 and then the scores would be the same as they are now, 20, 17, 16……..
Point 1- Money is already being allocated for athletes to travel to NCAAs. Opportunity, participation, and greater achievement is there with no additional costs.
Point 2- how many more schools score 1 point rather than 0 points? Feel like this is a better reason than who moves up and down the rankings. Want to see this over 3-5 years.
How would it work if the 1,000 was an event? It’s not nearly a fair way to truly do it, but maybe double the 1,650 scores and see how that lands?
I will forever stand on the hill that says D2 does NCAA Championships the best way. 4.5 days. Ends every night with a relay (800FR is on the Day 0.5 by itself). 1000Fr as an event. 7 total swims (max of 4 individual events). Would be interesting to see D1 go that route and how it would play out ultimately. More strategy there in terms of 4th individual event vs 4th relay swim, too.
It makes some sense to me that scoring a third heat would mean more teams score, and maybe more athletic departments give more money to swimming because they scored. I also think we’d see fewer prelims scratches and a little more strategy on which events to have an individual swim.
The biggest impact would be on the pride and sense of accomplishment for individuals who would get another swim.
I’d be fine with the change, but I’m not all-in on it.
Nice pic. Shout out to the glory days with Ozzie and James.
Track only scores one heat!
I think that’s silly, but I know very little about track.
Maybe T&F thinks having a B or C heat is silly?
Maybe. Don’t know. Don’t care.
I don’t think NCAA championship-level track athletes are as “versatile” as swimmers. I can imagine most don’t compete in more than two individual events (i.e. 100/200m, 1600/3200, etc..), not including relays. I suppose some sprinters could compete in field events, but I don’t think it is very common.
Also, I think track has 9 lanes versus swimming’s 8. Could be wrong though.