Which NCAA Programs Have The Most Followers on Instagram?

As the 2025 NCAA season kicks off, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most prominent programs in Division I swimming and diving. This list highlights the top teams based on their performance and point totals at the 2025 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Championships held last spring.

To provide additional context, we’ve included key distinctions for each program:

• Women-only teams are clearly noted.

• Programs that were non-scoring at the NCAA Championships are identified.

• Teams with separate Instagram accounts for their men’s and women’s squads are also distinguished.

In the age of NIL (name, image and likeness deals), having an Instagram account is essential for collegiate swim teams. As athletes can benefit from personal branding and public exposure to the outside community. Social media platforms such as Instagram can provide programs with a powerful tool to showcase not only their team accomplishments but the individual accomplishments as well. Teams can also show off their team culture, behind the scenes content such as day in my life, volunteering, or team outings. This will appeal to fans, recruits and potential sponsors. A strong online presence will allow athletes to grow their own followings which will make them more marketable for NIL opportunities.

For programs it will boost visibility into the program, and enhance recruiting by building a brand that resonates with the future generation of athletes who spend a large part of their day on social media platforms. Not only are swim Instagram accounts a highlight reel of each season but an asset to recruit the next best class. A strong following on social media reflects the influences that recruiting, current swimmers, alumni engagement, and brand partnerships can have for a program. For prospective student-athletes, a program’s social media often serves as a first impression and can highlight the culture, accomplishments, and personality of the team.

Observations:

• University of Virginia (UVA)- was one of the first major swim programs to take Instagram seriously, posting high quality content consistently, that was creative and engaging. Which allowed for the program’s profile to be seen at a national level.
• California Polytechnic University (Cal Poly)- After the university announced the cut of both the men’s and women’s programs in March of 2025, the athletes and supporters launched a campaign through their Instagram account @savecpswimdive highlighting the programs success, alumni memories, stories of incoming recruits, signatures from alumni, and donations to save the program. Despite raising nearly $9m in pledges and bequests, the program fell short of the Universities $15m, required to reinstate the program.
• East Carolina University (ECU)- when the university cut the programs for both the men and women’s swimming and diving, both alumni and current simmers launched a campaign with #SaveECUSwimmingandDiving, raised $200,000 which was well short of the goal of $1m.
• David Curtiss (NC State)- signed a sponsorship deal with Speedo, following the NCAA changed rules around NIL. He announced this partnership on his Instagram account, which carried a message about diversity in swimming and amplified not only his athletic career but his social advocacy as well.
• Authenticity in posting goes a long way, showing character, everyday work such as in the pool or weight room, as well as seeing both the struggles and successes,
• Creating content with highlights, posts, reels, stories and tags will make a program more noticeable to prospective student athletes
• For smaller programs, getting tagged during meets by larger schools, and having NIL deals will help increase their follower count
• Athletes on the team that play a vital role in team character and morale can be featured in posts showing that not all athletes have to be the best of the best, or record holders, and can help the roster in different ways.

We’ve also noted which programs were featured in the 2024 Kyle Sockwell College Tour.

Men’s Scoring Teams:

Men’s Non-Scoring Teams:

Women’s Scoring Teams:

Women’s Non-Scoring Teams: