SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side, or you can find the poll embedded at the bottom of this post.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers which major conference meet they were most excited for in week 1 of the NCAA’s major conference postseason:
RESULTS
Question: Which week 1 major conference meet are you most excited for?
- SEC Men – 56.3%
- Big Ten Women – 19.8%
- ACC Women – 12.0%
- SEC Women – 11.9%
More than half of voters were most excited for the men’s SEC Championship out of the four major week 1 conference meets. Nearly 20% went for the women’s Big Ten, while the women’s ACC and women’s SEC Championships were right around 12% apiece.
In a way, the poll shows the overall popularity of the SEC brand, as this year’s SEC meet is much less star-studded than the past few years, which have included the likes of Caeleb Dressel, Gunnar Bentz and Chase Kalisz. This year’s meet is much more freshman-oriented, with lesser-known names, though many are stars in the making. Then again, a potentially tight team battle is also exciting for fans, not to mention the uncertainty around new coaching staffs in two of the contending programs: Florida and Missouri. The poll also shows the relative disparity in fan excitement for men’s college athletics vs women’s – the only men’s meet in this poll wound up with more votes than all three women’s meets combined.
The women’s Big Ten came in second. That meet has some huge swimming names, including potential/likely NCAA champs Lilly King, Siobhan Haughey, Maggie MacNeil and Beata Nelson. That meet is also shaping up to have an excellent team battle between Indiana and Michigan.
Meanwhile the ACC narrowly edged out the women’s SEC by just a few votes. The women’s ACC does feature an outstanding team battle, and is highlighted by standout Mallory Comerford. The women’s SEC has been incredibly fast, though, with Erika Brown‘s new American 50 free record, and has also produced some technical intrigue with several swimmers skipping underwater pullouts on the way to great breaststroke swims.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks voters which of next week’s major conference meets they are most anticipating:
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ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE
The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner