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, or you can find the poll embedded at the bottom of this post.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers what the fastest conference was in the NCAA:
Question: What is the fastest conference in college swimming?
RESULTS
- ACC – 43.9%
- SEC – 39.0%
- Pac-12 – 12.1%
- Big Ten – 5.0%
It immediately becomes clear that, at least to some extent, the two conferences that had both genders competing while this poll was live last week benefitted from that with the ACC and SEC combining to receive nearly 83 percent of votes.
This poll could’ve been interpreted in any number of ways. The fastest conference in college swimming? What does that even mean?
One could interpret it as the conference that produces the fastest winning times at the conference championships, the one that would win a hypothetical quad meet made up of each conference’s all-stars (there’s an idea), which one scores the most points at NCAAs, or even just as simple as Who has the fastest male 50 freestyler?
The intention was for readers to interpret it anyway they wanted, with the average likely coming out to the conference with the best quality, overall, amongst men and women.
However, from the perspective of NCAA team standings, it’s hard to argue with the ACC and SEC landing at the top.
The SEC had a total of six teams (three men, three women) finish inside the top 10 at nationals last season, with the ACC ranking second with five.
For the ACC, this included the top two teams on the women’s side, highlighted by the University of Virginia women, who were absolutely on fire last week en route to winning their third consecutive conference title.
On the men’s side, the ACC had the fifth, eighth and ninth-ranked teams at NCAAs, though that eighth-place showing for NC State was more of a blip on the radar than a trend—they’ll likely return to the top five this year.
The SEC had Florida and Georgia go 3-4 at Men’s NCAAs last season, while the top women’s team was Alabama at fifth.
If the Pac-12 and Big Ten had their men and women’s championship meets combined and racing last week instead of the ACC and SEC, would the poll results be different? Probably to an extent, but the combination of high-end ability and depth in the ACC and SEC likely still pushes them to the top.
The Pac-12 has Stanford and Cal on the women’s side, along with the Golden Bear men, but isn’t terribly competitive as we move into the third, fourth, fifth-best teams. This also results in the conference’s top swimmers saving their full tapers for NCAAs, and as a result, the conference meet becomes a little slower and a little less intriguing.
The Big Ten has always been solid, but doesn’t seem to produce as many stars as the other conferences (save for some recent mega stars such as Lilly King, Beata Nelson and Maggie MacNeil).
As for the Big 12, of course it has Texas, but that’s not enough to even warrant a spot in the poll. When the Longhorns join the SEC down the line, that instantly makes it the fastest conference in the country, especially on the men’s side.
But for now, the ACC reigns supreme, albeit slightly, over the SEC, according to you, the reader.
Aside: Who do you think would win a combined college quad meet if each conference fielded an all-star team?
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Which event(s) would you want to see added to the Division I NCAA Championship lineup:
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The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
While “fastest” has a subjective meaning, we have already come to agree on one definition. The fastest team in a meet is the one that scores the most points. So simply put, take all the end of season times and run a simulated meet. This would account for the superstars while not neglecting the depth of certain conferences.
SEC is by far the hardest
not sure how this makes any sense… hardest conference to make finals in is easily the big ten it’s deeper. maybe it doesn’t produce as many stars but all around its faster?
it took a 1:35.7 to A final in 200 at BIG 10…. that wouldnt even C final at ACCs? but go off
4:19 to A final at Big 10, 4:16 ACC 500 free
19.56 to final at Big 10, 19.23 ACC- 50 free
1:44.72 A final Big 10, 1:44.49 ACC- 200 IM
46.91 A final Big 10, 46.05 ACC- 100 back
I guess you are right, upon closer look. But I should have specified I was speaking more towards the womens side of things. Comparing the women … the gap doesn’t seem to be as big and it seems to go back and forth by events. Exhibiting swimmers has also made big ten look a little slower. Look at 500 free and 1650 … much deeper in big 10. big 10 4:47 B final vs ACC 4:50 B final. 1650 Big Ten 16:13 A final (16:28 B final) vs ACC 16:26 A final. More so the B and A finals seem to be a closer match. If anything the poll itself just seems to be imperfect, as most polls tend to… Read more »
Big 12 and Pac 12 left out but isn’t it interesting how the 2 mens teams who are head and shoulders above everyone else are from those conferences?(and for those that wanna talk about “depth”…. texas and cal have more depth on their C relays than most of the SEC and ACC have on A relays🥱)
I don’t know that’s true anymore. Last night Texas’ ‘B’ medley relay went 1:24.76. That would’ve finished 8th at ACCs (9th if NC State didn’t DQ). The Longhorns’ 1:26.17 ‘C’ relay would’ve finished 10th, beating Boston College by a bit over a second.
And a lot of the guys on those Texas B and C relays are probably shooting for cuts this meet. Doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the best B and C relays the Longhorns could trot out, but still, there’s just a ton of speed throughout the NCAA right now.
we’ll see who’s right after texas wipes NC state and virgina by 200+ points at NCAAs🤧
I totally agree; Texas will mostly score at least 200 more points than either one of those schools. But that’s because of a slew of great top-end scorers, not because of hypothetical B and C relay depth. Like we said, it just all depends on how you want to define “fastest conference.”
Lol Virginia men aren’t even in the conversation, not even the best team in Virginia. Ncs is legit good although not as good as Texas.
Don’t put NC State and UVA men in the same category, they’re not. Maybe in sprint free only.
Didn’t know Cal or Texas C 200 Free Relay could set an American Record.
It’s a little crazy how much a few coaches changed the conference.
NC State set the tone in the mid 2010s, then one of their coaches moved to UVA, and now the whole ACC has gotten pulled along.
Overall SCY swimming is getting deeper and faster all across the board.
SEC rules especially the Vols UF and the Man Vols
What about Ivy League
fast but similar in terms of Big 10 imo
Big tens is way faster than Ivy
Ivy League is carried by the GOAT Raunak Khosla.