Which College Swim Programs Improved The Most In 2026?
Best times. Meet records. Podium finishes. For every swimmer, championship season is about achieving a new goal, reaching heights they’ve never seen. Athletes work for months for an opportunity to meet the moment, to finally see their work pay off.
In the midst of this focused journey, however, there’s often an unsung hero: the coach. As leaders of their respective programs, coaches look to take their teams to new heights every year, just like their swimmers. The direction of the team is essential to their future, making it essential that the group grows and flourishes.
With the championship season now on the backburner, we can take a look at the direction of the NCAA’s top programs. Which teams improved the most in 2026? And can they continue the growth?
Division I Men: UVA Leads the Way
Growth was a common theme across the top of Division I Men’s NCAA’s this season. Six of the top 10 teams scored more points in 2026 than in 2025, four of them by at least 50 points.
Of these improved squads, though, Virginia stood out above the rest, scoring 178 more points in 2026. The Cavaliers were led by an incredibly strong group of underclassmen, as first-years Maximus Williamson and Thomas Heilman delivered clutch performances for the team. Williamson led the way with a pair of individual titles in the 200 freestyle and 200 IM.
With a plethora of young talent and a strong recruiting class coming in, the sky is the limit for the Cavs in 2027.
Division I Women: Golden Bears Barely Beat Out Wolverines
While the amount of program-wide improvement was less on the women’s side, the battle for which team improved the most was tighter than any other meet. In the end, Cal beat out Michigan by just half a point for the top spot, with both programs making waves in 2026.
Cal’s influx of youth was huge towards their success, bringing in top recruits Claire Weinstein, Mia West and Teagan O’Dell. While O’Dell is leaving the program after one season, the Bears could be a force for years to come as Weinstein, West and others continue to improve and Rylee Erisman prepares to join the roster.
The Wolverines’ improved success mostly came in a different form: from internal growth, and a key transfer. The addition of Bella Sims was huge for the team, giving them a podium finisher in three events.
The team’s internal improvement should be emphasized as well, however. Junior Hannah Bellard and Letitia Sim both saw significant growth this season, becoming finalists. Both will be key cogs in this team’s future, as they look to build on their strong season.
Division II Men: Colorado Mesa Rises to the Occasion
Amongst the Division II men, one team clearly stood out as the biggest riser. Colorado Mesa scored a whopping 260 more points in 2026 than in 2025, the biggest turnaround of any program in college swimming.
The Mavericks’ rise was a multi-faceted one, The team’s strong recruiting class was a huge boost, with first-year Guillaume Gath making an immediate impact. But the improvement of swimmers Ben Vester and Richard Schmiefield was also crucial, helping them to a podium finish.
The team will look to carry their success into next season, hoping to reach new heights in back-to-back years.
Division II Women: Tampa Turns Up for Champs
When it came to the Division II women, no leap came close to that of the University of Tampa. The team improved by 204.5 points in 2026, helping earn them a 2nd place finish, after placing 6th in 2025.
Tampa returned most of the team from the year prior, but was able to make big leaps, even after graduating multiple key contributors. An incredible showing by sophomore Burley Bokos, and a breakout season by junior Lindsey Louder helped lead the Spartans to their best finish since 1988.
With most of the same team intact for the 26-27 season, it’ll be exciting to see if the Spartans can take another step and contend for the title.
Division III Men: NYU Reaches The Podium
Like many of our other big risers, NYU had experienced success before, having finished 4th the year prior. But the team’s jump in 2026 was still a shocking one, as they propelled to second place at the championship meet.
First-year Connor Dean and transfer Teddy Cross were welcome additions to the team, both reaching the podium in their first year as Violets.
A perennial contender at D3 champs, the team will look to continue to build, eyeing a first-place finish in 2027.
Division III Women: Emory Soars to Second
Not much fluctuation was seen at the top of the Division III Women’s standings, with a handful of standout programs continuing their dominance. One program that managed to show some improvement, though, was the Emory Eagles.
Emory built on their 2025 score by 95.5 points in 2026, helping them go from a 5th-place finish to 2nd. Junior Sammi Thiele’s dominant showing, and strong swims from transfer Emma Lunn, helped the team return to the podium for the third time in five years.
The Eagles will be in a good position to replicate their success once again a year from now, returning much of their talent from this past season.
