2024-25 NCAA Men’s Power Rankings: Pre-Conferences Edition

As in previous years, SwimSwam’s Power Rankings are somewhere between the CSCAA-style dual meet rankings and a pure prediction of NCAA finish order. SwimSwam’s rankings take into account how a team looks at the moment, while keeping the end of the season in mind through things like a team’s previous trajectory and NCAA scoring potential. These rankings are by nature subjective, and a jumping-off point for discussion. If you disagree with any team’s ranking, feel free to make your case in our comments section. 

James Sutherland, Braden Keith, Spencer Penland, Robert Gibbs, Yanyan Li, and Anya Pelshaw contributed to this report. 

The 2024-25 NCAA season is winding down. Plenty of teams have raced their last regular season meet, and there are a handful of “First Chance” Invitationals in the next two weeks, but then, it’s conference championship season.

There have been a lot of shake ups on the men’s NCAA scene since we did our last round of Power Rankings, which was before Caspar Corbeau announced his commitment to the Indiana Hoosiers. But Corbeau isn’t the only roster move that we’ve seen; Indiana, Texas, and Cal have all made high-powered additions as they gear up for the battle at NCAA Championships. Meanwhile, teams like Florida, Virginia, and NC State have all suffered losses.

There hasn’t been a lot of movement inside our top 10, though the gap between Indiana and Texas has narrowed as the Hoosiers adding Corbeau, Matt King, and Rafael Miroslaw has convinced some writers to flip Indiana back into the #1 position.

And while no new teams entered our top 25 rankings from our last round of rankings, we still have a handful of honorable mention teams, which all earned votes but didn’t quite crack the top 25.

Previous Rankings: 

Honorable Mentions: Minnesota, Yale, Penn, Kentucky, Georgia Tech

#25: Army Black Knights -1 (Previous Rank: 24)

The bottom of these rankings feel more crowded than ever as we approach the end of the regular season. Army rose above the fray to maintain a spot in the top 25, aided by the increasing likelihood that Johnny Crush scores in at least one NCAA event. The Black Knights also have NCAA qualifier Kohen Rankin and are .23 seconds from qualifying their 200 medley relay for NCAAs. All these factors are in Army’s favor, though if they go all-in for the Patriot League Championships, that will leave the door wide open for other teams to beat them for a top 25 spot at NCAAs. -SK

#24: Florida State Seminoles +1 (Previous Rank: 25)

Florida State and Army have swapped places from our post-Invite rankings. As I mentioned, it’s quite tight at the bottom of these rankings as one ‘A’ final swim could be what guarantees a top 25 finish. Given that, Florida State’s relays and their three NCAA ‘A’ cuts standout from the other teams in this tier of the rankings. -SK 

#23: North Carolina Tar Heels — (Previous Rank: 23)

There are some differing opinions about UNC’s NCAA chances–some writers have them ranked inside the top 20, others don’t have them ranked at all. I’ve got them right at #20, their relays have impressed me and they’ve got multiple swimmers who could win a touch in prelims and earn a second swim. -SK

#22: SMU Mustangs — (Previous Rank: 22)

SMU is a solid top 25 team for me. Jack Hoagland is in a solid position for this point in the season and should reliably score. The team’s 800 freestyle relay ranks 9th in the NCAA with a 6:14.62. -SK 

#21: USC Trojans -2 (Previous Rank: 19)

There weren’t any dramatic shifts in our rankings this month; the biggest swing is a +2 or a -2. USC is one of the teams that has slipped by two spots in these rankings as other teams, including an influx of mid-major teams receiving votes, have seemingly caught up with the Trojans. -SK

#20: Purdue Boilermakers — (Previous Rank: 20)

Purdue’s strength remains its diving crew, which should put the Boilermakers safely within the top 25 regardless of how the team does in the swimming events. But, Brady Samuels, who’s having a good year, is a dark horse to add some points in the pool, which Purdue would certainly be excited about. -SK

#19: Arizona Wildcats +2 (Previous Rank: 21)

Based on the times swum by January 25th (and not including diving), the Swimulator predicts that the Arizona Wildcats will finish 16th at the 2025 NCAA Championships. That feels a little high, but maybe not by much. This is a team to watch heading into the championship season. -SK

#18: LSU Tigers -1 (Previous Rank: 17)

After invites last season, the LSU men didn’t have a single relay ‘A’ cut. This year, they’ve got four, with Jere Hribar and Stepan Goncharov factoring on all of them, which is a strong sign for the Tigers. -SK

#17: Alabama Crimson Tide +1 (Previous Rank: 18)

Even though the team boasts a solid 200 freestyle duo in Charlie Hawke and Kaique Alves, the Crimson Tide bypassed the 800 freestyle relay at their midseason invite. That’s suppressing the team’s projected point totals in the Swimulator; last season, the team finished 11th at NCAAs (6:10.72). Also, the Alabama women’s sprint group has been firing this year, it will be interesting to see if the men’s group can make a push at conferences. -SK

#16: Texas A&M Aggies -2 (Previous Rank: 14)

The Aggies have been solid this season, but haven’t shown any cards yet this season. The championship season will be their big test as we wait to see what, if anything, they’ve got sitting in their hand. -SK 

#15: Ohio State Buckeyes +1 (Previous Rank: 16)

Tomas Navikonis, Tristan Jankovics, and Alex Axon are a solid base for the Buckeyes to build on, as the trio all sit inside “scoring position” in at least one event in the NCAA this season. Ohio State hasn’t hit any relay ‘A’ cuts yet, which is something to keep an eye on at Big Tens. -SK

#14: Auburn Tigers +1 (Previous Rank: 15)

Auburn has been pretty quiet so far this season; it feels like a longshot for them to earn a 3rd straight runner-up finish at SECs, but where they place among these increasingly competitive conference teams will reveal a lot about what this team has to give in a championship setting. Graduating Aidan Stoffle has been a loss, look for them to rely on their relays, which have been a focus for them throughout their rebuild. -SK

#13: Virginia Cavaliers -2 (Previous Rank: 11)

The Virginia Cavaliers were one of the biggest points of dissent in these rankings. The point of contention centers around how this team will fare without Noah Nichols and Tim Connery, who weren’t on the roster anymore as the second term started. It’s a tough blow for the Cavaliers, who were looking to make headway up the rankings ahead of their monster recruiting class arriving this fall. Both were NCAA scorers and school record holders, and Nichols played a crucial role on the medley relays, including the 400 medley relay, which just missed the American record at the team’s midseason invite. -SK

#12: Michigan Wolverines +1 (Previous Rank: 13)

In our last rankings, Michigan was a team that was a bit difficult to get a read on. I think that’s still true–the talent is clearly there and by some metrics they’re outperforming last season’s roster. For example, they’ve got two NCAA relay ‘A’ cuts and a handful of events where the team’s fastest time is ahead of where it was at this point last season. But, none of that has translated to many swimmers sitting in NCAA scoring position as we roll into championship season. One thing I’ll be watching for at Big Tens is their butterfly group, which was a strength for them last season. -SK 

#11: Louisville Cardinals +1 (Previous Rank: 12)

Louisville is knocking on the door of a top 10 finish, which would mark a significant milestone for them in their rebuild. To help achieve that goal, the Cardinals have added France’s Ethan Chauliaguet to boost their sprint relays. What the Cardinals really need though, is a few more individual scorers. -SK

#10: Virginia Tech Hokies  — (Previous Rank: 10)

January was status quo for the Hokies; the team continued to play their cards close to their vest as the postseason approached, except Carles Coll Marti. In January, he swam a lifetime best of 50.78 in the 100 breaststroke, and swam 1:50 in the 200 breaststroke twice (his 3rd and 4th 1:50-point efforts of the season). He’s one of the swimmers who’s been consistently fast throughout the NCAA season. -SK

#9: Georgia Bulldogs — (Previous Rank: 9)

Luca Urlando skipped the Georgia Fall Invitational due to illness, but he hasn’t missed a beat since returning. He broke the NCAA and American records in the 200 butterfly (1:37.17) and swam best times in the 100 butterfly (43.62), 200 backstroke (1:38.18), and 50 freestyle (19.34). Ultimately, Urlando can only swim three individual events, but the boost he brings Georgia’s relays will also be important in Georgia’s quest for a top 10 finish. Outside of Urlando’s fireworks, Tomas Koski has had a strong season and is someone to watch in the postseason. -SK

#8: Stanford Cardinal — (Previous Rank: 8)

The Stanford Cardinal have held strong at 8th place, where they moved in our post-invite rankings. The Cardinal have been quiet this year, but their relays look strong and their divers will help propel them ahead of other comparable teams in the pool. -SK

#7: NC State Wolfpack -1 (Previous Rank: 6)

Losing Aiden Hayes and Arsenio Bustos to injury hurts the Wolfpack. – AP

#6: Tennessee Volunteers +1 (Previous Rank: 7)

Jordan Crooks and Gui Caribe continued to look strong as the regular season came to a close. Crooks swam 18.44 in the individual 50 freestyle, then split 17.66, the 4th fastest relay split of all-time. Tennessee’s sprint group and the relays are going to be key for the Volunteers in the postseason. A few more individual points scorers would go a long way.  -SK

#5: Arizona State Sun Devils — (Previous Rank: 5)

Arizona State has handed their first dual meet loss of the season at the inaugural Eddie Reese Showdown, but there were plenty of positives for them to take away. Their sprint group looked great. Ilya Kharun turned in #2 50/100 fly relay split times (18.90/42.80), and Jonny Kulow looked great as well, hitting a personal best in the 200 freestyle and just missing the top 10 all-time relay split rankings in the 50/100 free. These are all the things they need to be working as they gear up for the postseason. -SK

#4: Florida Gators — (Previous Rank: 4)

I thought about it, but I wasn’t quite ready to push either Tennessee or Arizona State ahead of Florida. Yes, the Gators have suffered losses, but Josh Liendo and Julian Smith make a powerful duo. And right now, I think the depth that surrounds them cushions them against the Vols and the Sun Devils. The SEC Championships and the Gators’ fight to preserve their winning streak, will reveal a lot about the team’s NCAA chances. -SK

#3: California Golden Bears — (Previous Rank: 3)

Now back racing in a Golden Bear cap, Lucas Henveaux hasn’t wasted any time showing off the improvements he’s made. He’s already got season bests of 4:10.82/14:29.74, which rank 3rd/1st in the NCAA, respectively. His arrival, as well as Mewen Tomac‘s, gives a boost to an already strong Cal team. -SK

#2: Indiana Hoosiers — (Previous Rank: 2)

Last time we ranked, only one SwimSwam writer placed Indiana in the top spot. Now, three have. It’s not quite enough for them to surpass Texas for the top spot, but the arrivals of Caspar Corbeau, Matt King, and Rafael Miroslaw will help the Hoosiers keep things close. -SK

#1: Texas Longhorns — (Previous Rank: 1)

Losing Ksawery Masiuk hurts, but I just don’t think Indiana’s diving is enough to make up ground on Texas, including Chris Guiliano, in the pool. Guiliano makes the Longhorns passable in their biggest weakness, the sprints, and that might just be enough this year. -BK

Full Ballots