October 2, 2026 – The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) has released its 2026-27 Division III Preseason Top 25 National Rankings, with defending NCAA champions Denison and NYU opening the season at No. 1 in the men’s and women’s rankings, respectively.
The rankings are voted on by committees of Division III coaches representing a cross-section of programs and conferences throughout the country. Poll committee members evaluate teams based on head-to-head performances, nationally ranked performances, significant performances achieved since the previous poll, results from invitational and championship-style competition, and the quality and depth of performances across events.
Together, these criteria are intended to provide a comprehensive assessment of each program’s performance at the time of the poll, while recognizing the different competitive opportunities and formats that occur throughout the collegiate season.
Division III Men
Denison opens the 2026-27 season at No. 1 in the men’s rankings with 373 points. The Big Red enter the season after capturing the 2025-26 NCAA Division III Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship.
NYU begins the season at No. 2 with 353 points, followed by Chicago at No. 3 with 343. Emory earned 339 points to open at No. 4, while Kenyon rounds out the top five with 317.
MIT checks in at No. 6 with 295 points, followed by Carnegie Mellon at No. 7 with 287 and Williams at No. 8 with 273. Tufts (251) and Pomona-Pitzer (241) complete the preseason top 10.
Division III Women
Defending national champion NYU opens the 2026-27 season at No. 1 in the women’s rankings with 343 points. The Violets enter the new season after capturing the program’s first NCAA Division III Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship in 2025-26.
Kenyon begins the season at No. 2 with 333 points, while Emory follows closely at No. 3 with 331. Denison earned 307 points to open at No. 4, and Williams rounds out the top five with 295.
MIT begins the season at No. 6 with 271 points, followed by Chicago at No. 7 with 265 and Pomona-Pitzer at No. 8 with 260. Tufts (241) and Swarthmore (206) complete the preseason top 10.
Division III Men
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denison | 373 |
| 2 | NYU | 353 |
| 3 | Chicago | 343 |
| 4 | Emory | 339 |
| 5 | Kenyon | 317 |
| 6 | MIT | 295 |
| 7 | Carnegie Mellon | 287 |
| 8 | Williams | 273 |
| 9 | Tufts | 251 |
| 10 | Pomona-Pitzer | 241 |
| 11 | TCNJ | 224 |
| 12 | WashU | 203 |
| 13 | Calvin | 186 |
| 14 | Amherst | 176 |
| 15 | Hope | 169 |
| 16 | Johns Hopkins | 160 |
| 17 | Salisbury | 123 |
| 18 | Conn College | 113 |
| 19 | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps | 106 |
| 20 | SUNY Geneseo | 93 |
| 21 | UC Santa Cruz | 89 |
| 22 | Bates | 57 |
| 23 | Case Western Reserve | 40 |
| 24 | Swarthmore | 37 |
| 25 | Coast Guard | 15 |
Also receiving votes: Gettysburg (12)
Division III Women
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NYU | 343 |
| 2 | Kenyon | 333 |
| 3 | Emory | 331 |
| 4 | Denison | 307 |
| 5 | Williams | 295 |
| 6 | MIT | 271 |
| 7 | Chicago | 265 |
| 8 | Pomona-Pitzer | 260 |
| 9 | Tufts | 241 |
| 10 | Swarthmore | 206 |
| 11 | WashU | 205 |
| 12 | Colby | 199 |
| 13 | Carnegie Mellon | 183 |
| 14 | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps | 178 |
| 15 | Hope | 147 |
| 16 | Amherst | 134 |
| 17 | Johns Hopkins | 128 |
| 18 | Salisbury | 122 |
| 19 | Calvin | 104 |
| 20 | Case Western Reserve | 85 |
| 21 | Gettysburg | 67 |
| 22 | UC Santa Cruz | 58 |
| 23 | Ithaca | 33 |
| 24 | Middlebury | 26 |
| 25 | Trinity U | 18 |
Also receiving votes: Kean (5), SUNY Geneseo (2), DePauw (2), Keene State (1), Bates (1)
Division III Men’s Poll Committee
The Division III Men’s Poll Committee includes Justin Anderson (Mary Washington), Phil Baretela (RIT), Andy Brabson (Caltech), Peter Casares (Bates), Finn Conaway (Conn), Keith Crawford (Rose-Hulman IT), Teddy Cross (NYU), David Dow (TCNJ), Paul Dotterwich (Geneseo), Mabel Fowler (Trinity University (TX)), Rob Harrington (Wooster), Howard Hinds (Springfield), Eric Mojock (Mt. Union), Connor Rumpit (F&M), Brent Summers (Willamette), Sean Tedesco (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy) and Jason Weber (UChicago).
Division III Women’s Poll Committee
About the CSCAA
Founded in 1922, the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA), is the nation’s first organization of college coaches. The mission of the CSCAA is to advance the sport of swimming and diving with coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy, and professional development.
