Quick Summary
- Texas men and Virginia women remain No. 1 in the college swimming rankings, the October CSCAA Division I Top 25 released Oct. 29, 2026. Both were unanimous.
- Indiana is second among the men and moved up to third among the women, from fifth in the preseason poll.
- Stanford women dropped from No. 2 in the preseason poll to a tie for eighth.
- Louisville men climbed from 12th to ninth, and Virginia men from 10th to eighth.
- ACC teams hold five of the 10 spots in each poll.
The first full month of dual meets has reshaped the college swimming rankings below the top spots. Here is the CSCAA Top 10 for men and women, who moved, how the conferences stack up and what the LSU Tigers did to climb in the poll.
College Swimming Rankings: Men’s CSCAA Top 10
These college swimming rankings come from the CSCAA Division I poll released Oct. 29, 2026, as published by Swimming World and LSU Sports. The Prev. column shows each team’s spot in the preseason poll.
| Rank | Team | Pts | Prev. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 250 | 1 |
| 2 | Indiana | 234 | 2 |
| T-3 | California | 225 | 4 |
| T-3 | Florida | 225 | 3 |
| 5 | Arizona State | 211 | 6 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 199 | 5 |
| 7 | NC State | 192 | 7 |
| 8 | Virginia | 179 | 10 |
| 9 | Louisville | 164 | 12 |
| 10 | Stanford | 160 | T-8 |
Texas has 250 points, the maximum, and is the two-time reigning NCAA champion. Its most recent title was its 17th overall, according to Swimming World. Indiana (234) is second, and California and Florida are tied for third with 225 points each.
Women’s CSCAA Top 10
| Rank | Team | Pts | Prev. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | 250 | 1 |
| 2 | Texas | 237 | 3 |
| 3 | Indiana | 230 | 5 |
| 4 | Tennessee | 221 | 4 |
| 5 | Michigan | 205 | 6 |
| 6 | California | 201 | 7 |
| 7 | Louisville | 192 | 8 |
| T-8 | Stanford | 177 | 2 |
| T-8 | NC State | 177 | 9 |
| 10 | Ohio State | 155 | 11 |
Virginia women also have the full 250 points. The Cavaliers won their sixth straight NCAA title last spring, a women’s record, and they are the clear No. 1 again. Texas moved up one spot to second (237), and Indiana jumped two places to third (230). Stanford is the biggest faller: it was No. 2 in the preseason poll and is now tied with NC State at No. 8 with 177 points.
Biggest Movers Since the Preseason Poll
- Louisville men rose from No. 12 to No. 9, a three-spot jump into the Top 10.
- Virginia men climbed from No. 10 to No. 8.
- Indiana women moved from No. 5 to No. 3 (230 points).
- Stanford women fell from No. 2 to T-8, and Florida women went from No. 10 to No. 13.
- Michigan men slid from a tie for eighth to No. 11 (136 points).
Arizona State men moved up one place to fifth (211), while Tennessee men dropped one to sixth (199). On the women’s side, Tennessee held fourth (221) and Michigan improved from sixth to fifth (205).
Conference Picture: ACC Has Half the Top 10
Five ACC teams are in each Top 10. For the men they are California, NC State, Virginia, Louisville and Stanford. For the women they are Virginia, California, Louisville, Stanford and NC State. The ACC is followed by the SEC, which has three men’s teams (Texas, Florida, Tennessee) and two women’s teams (Texas, Tennessee) in the Top 10. The Big Ten has one men’s team (Indiana) and three women’s teams (Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State). The Big 12 is represented by Arizona State men.
LSU Women Climb After Strong Dual Meets
LSU produced some of the month’s best individual and team results. According to LSU Sports, the Tigers women rose one spot to No. 17, while the men dropped to No. 18. The women won every swimming event in a tri-meet at Navy and beat Texas A&M 215-83, the program’s first dual-meet win over the Aggies since 2001.
Sophomore Martina Bukvic broke a 15-year-old record in the 100 breaststroke. On the men’s side, LSU beat Texas A&M 181.5-116.5, its first dual win over the Aggies since 2014. Senior Jere Hribar set a school record in the 100 butterfly and was named SEC Men’s Swimmer of the Week. Junior Nikola Simic also broke the school record in the 1000 freestyle.
LSU hosts Auburn on Thursday, Nov. 5, at noon CT at the LSU Natatorium. Auburn is ranked in both polls, 14th for the men and 19th for the women.
What the Rankings Mean
The CSCAA poll is a national Division I ranking released during the season, so it is not the same as the NCAA Championships. The order below the top teams has already moved a lot since the preseason poll, which shows how much can change from month to month. Treat the October order as a snapshot of the season so far, not a forecast of how the national meet will finish.
If you want more on the sport, read our guide to NIL for swimmers and our NCAA cross country championships preview. You can also compare programs on the RallyFuel NIL Score leaderboard and look up terms in the NIL glossary.
FAQ
Who is No. 1 in college swimming?
Texas is No. 1 among the men and Virginia is No. 1 among the women in the October 2026 CSCAA Division I poll. Both received every first-place vote.
When is the next CSCAA poll?
The CSCAA has released a Division I poll each month this season, with the preseason poll in September and the latest on Oct. 29, 2026. A November update is likely.
Which conference has the most ranked teams?
The ACC has five teams in the men’s Top 10 and five in the women’s Top 10. The SEC and Big Ten follow.
What does the CSCAA poll measure?
It is the CSCAA national Top 25 poll for Division I men and women, and it is separate from NCAA Championship scoring.
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