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 who they believe is the favorite to win the men’s NCAA title this season:
Question: Who is your pick to win the men’s NCAA title in 2025?
RESULTS
- Texas – 35.6%
- Cal – 34.7%
- Indiana – 17.5%
- Florida – 9.6%
- ASU – 2.0%
- Other – 0.7%
When Bob Bowman took over as the new head coach of the Texas men, the team was less than 48 hours removed from their lowest NCAA Championship finish since 2005.
The Longhorns placed 7th with 189 points, 334.5 back of Bowman’s Arizona State team that won its first national title in program history.
When Bowman took the Texas job on April 1, you would’ve been hard-pressed to find many people picking the Longhorns to win the NCAA title 12 months later. There was plenty of optimism, including more than half of SwimSwam readers believing Bowman could put them back into the top two at NCAAs within two years, but they were far from being favorites for the 2025 title.
A lot has changed in the last five months. Bowman has reeled in some big-time transfers, including Olympic champion Hubert Kos, who was with Bowman at Arizona State, and some of the top-ranked recruits of the past few years who opted to change schools early in their college careers: Aaron Shackell (Cal), Rex Maurer (Stanford) and Michael Cotter (NC State).
Texas also brings back David Johnston after a redshirt year, returns Coby Carrozza for a fifth year, and has a talented recruiting class coupled with an impressive group of sophomores led by Will Modglin and Nate Germonprez.
All of that results in Texas coming out on top in our latest poll asking SwimSwam readers who they’re picking for the men’s NCAA title this season.
The Longhorns earned 35.6% of votes, followed closely by Cal at 34.7%.
The Bears went back-to-back in 2022 and 2023, and have incredibly finished no lower than 2nd since placing 4th in 2009. They’re always going to have a strong roster, and that continues this year with several key returners from last season’s runner-up team, including fifth-years Destin Lasco, Bjorn Seeliger and Dare Rose.
Indiana was 3rd in the poll with 17.5% of votes, bringing back the majority of the team that finished 4th last season, plus adding two of ASU’s top swimmers from last year, Owen McDonald and Zalan Sarkany.
The Florida Gators are also a major contender, especially given they have the best swimmer in the NCAA, Josh Liendo, who swept his individual events at NCAAs last season. Florida earned 9.6% of votes, while defending champion Arizona State only earned 2% after losing a significant chunk of their roster. In addition to the key swimmers who transferred out who we’ve already mentioned—Kos, McDonald and Sarkany—the Sun Devils also lost superstar Leon Marchand, who followed Bowman to Texas but turned pro.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Would you get behind adding short course meters into the rotation at the NCAA Championships?
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The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
Whatever happened with the idea of 100 IMs in NcAAs? A few years ago there was a lot of chatter about that. I’m guessing it was only planned for dual meets, but I can’t remember ever seeing it.
My vote is on SMU
Hobson not mentioned for Texas?
No to SCM NCAA’s in Olympic year lol, it’s as different from long course as yards is, I’d like it long course every year or I’d settle for long course in Olympic years. With the House settlement decision the production line of college swimming doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better so making it the same format as all the major meets would give a good injection of familiarity into American swimming
The main benefit would just be to see a bunch of World Records fall at NCAA’s. No doubt that swimmers like Marchand or Walsh were in good enough shape to obliterate those marks. They’ll never take SCM seriously enough to reach their potential unless we put NCAAs in SCM. If it was SCM every year i have no doubt Dressel would have broken 20 in 2018, probably by a lot.
The votes for ASU are Herbie and Kharun
It’s logistically impossible, but I wish the NCAA (and all of USA swimming) could permanently switch to SCM.
Nah
IU also has Matt King and Brian Benzing as transfers. Should be a dogfight to the end for the championship.
Wherever Guiliano lands is game, set, match if it’s at IU, Texas, Cal, or Florida.
Or maybe ASU 👀
Cal seems to be the insiders’ favorite right now. We’ll see what happens…
He doesn’t strike me as the Berkeley type, for the same reasons the Shackells weren’t a great fit.
No Alex?
If so those Alexy – Giuliano practices will be 🔥