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 for their NCAA men’s title predictions:
RESULTS
Question: Who will win 2019 Men’s NCAAs?
- Texas – 44.4%
- Cal – 43.3%
- Indiana – 7.7%
- NC State – 2.9%
- Other – 1.7%
Voters are extremely split on who will win the 2019 men’s Division I NCAA title: Texas led our poll, but by barely more than one percentage point, and by just 7 total votes.
This is certainly the most split fans have been over the past few years, no matter how much the narrative of ‘everyone is doubting Texas’ persisted. Last year, we ran a poll before the meet, with Texas topping Cal 47.0% to 30.4%. The year prior, Texas led our pre-meet poll 74.5% to 14.0%. Indeed, almost every time we’ve had an NCAA-centric poll, the vast majority of voters have backed Texas.
Texas fans and athletes have used the famous Bill Simmons ‘nobody believes in us’ card to perfection the past couple years, somehow reframing themselves as doubted underdogs even as polls show a strongly-held belief that they would, indeed, win. This should be the first year in a long while that anybody is doubting Texas, at least from a numbers perspective. The Longhorns are still considered the favorites to repeat (they’ve been #1 in our Power Ranks in four out of five editions this season), but by a much narrower margin. Only 4 of our 5 rankers put Texas at #1, and SwimSwam readers are even more split, judging by this poll.
Indiana garnered just 7.7% of the votes. Last year, they got 4.7% of the votes going into the meet, but spiked when we posed the question again during the first two days of the meet – they wound up getting 31% of winner votes during the meet, leading Texas and Cal.
NC State got almost three percent, and other teams took in about a percent and a half.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks voters for their thoughts on the controversial DQ of Michigan’s Siobhan Haughey out of the 200 IM at women’s NCAAs:
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The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner
Did the majority (55.6%) just doubt a Texas victory? Oh boy that’s bulletin board material if I ever seen it. Texas can play the underdog and fire it’s guys up. Plus I hear the alumni are gonna get rowdy, should be fun
The bulletin board must be pretty empty if this is the headline of it.
Just don’t get kicked out.
The crowd has spoken!!!
people STILL don’t trust that beautiful Texas taper
Several longhorns and Eddie would disagree with you on last years taper. Texas will win if the divers hit their taper
I don’t know how much Texas has really been using the “nobody believes in us” card as much as the “we’re freakin’ FAST swimmers” card.
Not sure hosting NCAAs is a benefit to Texas. It for sure didn’t help the lady horns. The men have lost to Cal the last two times the horns hosted and they often times get slaughtered at home with dual meets. They don’t protect their house very well.
Eddie hates hosting this meet.
Why? Seems like it’d be great. No travel or hassle.
I just read an article today where Eddie says he has team ina hotel and even thought of taking them to airport and “simulating” they arrived into another town for NCAAs. He says not much sleeping these days worrying if they are going to hit taper or he will “fail them.” Safe to say – he feels better when the meet is not in Austin.
Men’s team and women’s team are completely seperate. Look at the results.
Every year it gets tougher for Texas. The young kids really have to come through this year. Coach Reese is the guy to help them.
LOL. Maybe you did not know, but Texas won only 1 tittle in 13 years before last 4 tittles. Only 1 (in 2010) from 2002 until 2015. It is tough every year.
There is something about the Texas Swim Center. I am predicting 7 new pool records in Texas’ home pool this meet with 3 by Longhorns – two by freshmen. Five new short course American or US Open Records with 2 by Longhorns. Not yet predicting that will win it just yet, but the other teams better exceed that level of performance or the fuel that will provide the rest of the Horns in their home pool will be hard to match. Just watch what happens in the 800 FR… This will be a FAST MEET!!!
Also, don’t think we will hear “yeah, but we won the swimming races” drama this year…
I predict that once again Texas will win the meet while scoring fewer swimming points than at least one team. If that’s the case, you certainly will hear the same complaints that always follow that outcome.
You have to score the most points to win…
you don’t have to score the most swimming points
If Texas didn’t have divers, Eddie would have 2 more scholarships to get more swimming talent. My hair is a bird your argument is invalid
Any intel into what the toughest pool records are?
It would probably be University of Minnesota’s where NCAAs were held last year. I doubt anybody is going to touch those pool records anytime soon; especially since 3 of the records are Dressel records and there are several other D1 records up there too including Haas, Finnerty and NC State’s disgusting 4×100 free record.
The pool records are mainly from NCAAS 5 years ago. Texas never swims tapered in their own pool. They are gettable. The Murphy backstroke records are from his freshman year. Cortez breaststroke records are up there. Kalisz 4IM is up there but they are not the insane records that class and those swimmers put up 2 years ago. In fact, Ryan Hoffer had the 100 free record that was broken in HS until Tate Jackson finally broke it.
The team records side of the board are the insane times
Last time Texas got beat, I was in stands at TSC. I am not very confident this year at all, but if everyone hits their taper, Texas wins again. Divers will be great this year too. I will be watching until Friday prelims, then flying to Vegas to celebrate anniversary with my wife. Eddie should consider NCAA tittle as a gift to me for our anniversary. Hook’em.
I also made the mistake of marrying my wife on Mar 28th.