September 29, 2026 – The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) has released its 2026-27 Division II Preseason Top 25 National Rankings, with Nova Southeastern opening the season at No. 1 on the women’s side and Drury claiming the top spot in the men’s rankings.
The rankings are voted on by committees of Division II 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 II Women
Defending NCAA champion Nova Southeastern opens the 2026-27 season at No. 1 in the women’s rankings with 245 points. The Sharks enter the season after capturing their fourth consecutive NCAA Division II Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship in 2025-26.
Tampa sits just three points behind at No. 2 with 242 points, followed by Colorado Mesa at No. 3 with 231. Drury earned 218 points to begin the season at No. 4, while Indianapolis rounds out the top five with 206.
Grand Valley opens at No. 6 with 199 points, followed by Catawba at No. 7 with 180. Delta State (166), Findlay (165) and Wingate (158) complete the preseason top 10.
A total of 37 women’s programs received votes in the preseason rankings.
Division II Men
Drury claims the No. 1 spot in the Division II men’s preseason rankings with 243 points, edging defending NCAA champion Tampa by just two points. The Spartans, who captured the 2025-26 NCAA Division II Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship, open the season at No. 2 with 241 points.
Indianapolis begins the year at No. 3 with 228 points, followed by Colorado Mesa at No. 4 with 220. Wingate rounds out the top five with 200 points.
McKendree opens at No. 6 with 197 points, followed closely by Grand Valley at No. 7 with 193. Findlay (172), Florida Southern (161) and Nova Southeastern (155) complete the preseason top 10.
A total of 32 men’s programs received votes in the preseason rankings.
Division II Men
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drury | 243 |
| 2 | Tampa | 241 |
| 3 | Indianapolis | 228 |
| 4 | Colorado Mesa | 220 |
| 5 | Wingate | 200 |
| 6 | McKendree | 197 |
| 7 | Grand Valley | 193 |
| 8 | Findlay | 172 |
| 9 | Florida Southern | 161 |
| 10 | Nova Southeastern | 155 |
| 11 | Catawba | 149 |
| 12 | Lynn | 144 |
| 13 | Northern Michigan | 129 |
| 14 | Saint Cloud | 118 |
| 15 | Wayne State | 98 |
| 16 | Saginaw Valley State | 90 |
| 17 | Florida Tech | 82 |
| T-18 | Mines | 61 |
| T-18 | Carson-Newman | 61 |
| 20 | West Chester | 57 |
| 21 | Rollins | 51 |
| 22 | Henderson State | 50 |
| 23 | Delta State | 38 |
| 24 | Ouachita Baptist | 26 |
| 25 | Lewis | 17 |
Also receiving votes: Bridgeport (16), Missouri S&T (12), PennWest Clarion (11), Oklahoma Christian (9), Davenport (9), Simon Fraser (6), Augustana (SD) (6)
Division II Women
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nova Southeastern | 245 |
| 2 | Tampa | 242 |
| 3 | Colorado Mesa | 231 |
| 4 | Drury | 218 |
| 5 | Indianapolis | 206 |
| 6 | Grand Valley | 199 |
| 7 | Catawba | 180 |
| 8 | Delta State | 166 |
| 9 | Findlay | 165 |
| 10 | Wingate | 158 |
| 11 | Lynn | 150 |
| 12 | Mines | 147 |
| 13 | Simon Fraser | 114 |
| 14 | Northern Michigan | 84 |
| 15 | Minnesota State | 83 |
| 16 | Cal State East Bay | 81 |
| 17 | UMSL | 75 |
| 18 | Saginaw Valley State | 73 |
| 19 | Florida Southern | 56 |
| 20 | West Chester | 53 |
| 21 | Carson-Newman | 50 |
| 22 | Wayne State | 38 |
| 23 | McKendree | 32 |
| 24 | PennWest Clarion | 27 |
| 25 | Augustana (SD) | 17 |
Also receiving votes: Indiana (PA) (13), Davenport (12), Saint Cloud (11), Oklahoma Christian (11), Biola (11), Concordia-Irvine (9), Lewis (8), Concordia-Saint Paul (6), Ouachita Baptist (4), UNC-Pembroke (2), Emmanuel (1), Alaska-Fairbanks (1)
Division II Men’s Poll Committee
Annie Anderson (St. Cloud State), Bryan Christiansen (Quincy), Ben Evans (Wingate), Matthew Gearing (Catawba), Noah Javens (McKendree), Jason Lintjer (Saginaw Valley State), Andrew Makepeace (Augustana University), Tony Marleneanu (Florida Tech), Brent Noble (Indianapolis) and Scotty Serio (Henderson State)
Division II Women’s Poll Committee
Annie Anderson (St. Cloud), Evan Anthony (Millersville), Riley Ceglowski (Alaska Fairbanks), Mike Darbee (Saginaw Valley), Mathew Gearing (Catawba), David Granados Doblas (Tampa), Trevor Loomis (Delta State), Doug Schranck (Rockhurst), Brad Shannon (Colorado School of Mines) and Chris Villa (IUP)
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.
