SwimSwam Pulse: 35.6% Favor Texas To Win Men’s NCAA Title In Bowman’s First Year

SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodicΒ A3 Performance Polls. You canΒ 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%

WhenΒ 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 championΒ 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),Β Rex Maurer (Stanford) andΒ Michael Cotter (NC State).

Texas also brings backΒ David Johnston after a redshirt year, returnsΒ Coby Carrozza for a fifth year, and has a talented recruiting class coupled with an impressive group of sophomores led byΒ Will ModglinΒ andΒ 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,Β Bjorn Seeliger andΒ 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 andΒ Zalan Sarkany.

The Florida Gators are also a major contender, especially given they have the best swimmer in the NCAA,Β 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 mentionedβ€”Kos, McDonald and Sarkanyβ€”the Sun Devils also lost superstarΒ Leon Marchand, who followed Bowman to Texas but turned pro.

Below, vote in our newΒ A3 Performance Poll,Β which asks: Would you get behind adding short course meters into the rotation at the NCAA Championships?

Should the NCAA Championships go back to being in short course meters during Olympic years?

View Results

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ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE

A3 Performance is an independently-owned, performance swimwear company built on a passion for swimming, athletes, and athletic performance. We encourage swimmers to swim better and faster at all ages and levels, from beginners to Olympians.Β  Driven by a genuine leader and devoted staff that are passionate about swimming and service, A3 Performance strives to inspire and enrich the sport of swimming with innovative and impactful products that motivate swimmers to be their very best – an A3 Performer.

The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.

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hambone
23 days ago

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.

Last edited 23 days ago by hambone
cow from china
23 days ago

My vote is on SMU

Dean Eliot
23 days ago

Hobson not mentioned for Texas?

DK99
23 days ago

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

saltie
Reply to  DK99
23 days ago

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.

I miss the ISL (Go dawgs)
23 days ago

The votes for ASU are Herbie and Kharun

IU Swammer
23 days ago

It’s logistically impossible, but I wish the NCAA (and all of USA swimming) could permanently switch to SCM.

Last edited 23 days ago by IU Swammer
Momsnothappy
Reply to  IU Swammer
23 days ago

Nah

JH1
23 days ago

IU also has Matt King and Brian Benzing as transfers. Should be a dogfight to the end for the championship.

Old Swim Coach
23 days ago

Wherever Guiliano lands is game, set, match if it’s at IU, Texas, Cal, or Florida.

Insider
Reply to  Old Swim Coach
23 days ago

Or maybe ASU πŸ‘€

Admin
Reply to  Old Swim Coach
23 days ago

Cal seems to be the insiders’ favorite right now. We’ll see what happens…

JeahBrah
Reply to  Braden Keith
23 days ago

He doesn’t strike me as the Berkeley type, for the same reasons the Shackells weren’t a great fit.

Freddie
Reply to  JeahBrah
23 days ago

No Alex?

sjostrom stan
Reply to  Braden Keith
21 days ago

If so those Alexy – Giuliano practices will be πŸ”₯

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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