The height of midseason invitations is over, and the primary half of the 2024-25 NCAA season is within the books. There’s been a variety of deal with the state of play within the particular person occasions after the large invitations, however now that almost all of groups have suited up, it’s time to check out the relay panorama.
A fast reminder on how relays qualify for NCAAs:
- The only technique to qualify relays for NCAAs is to hit the “A” lower, formally referred to as the “Qualifying Customary” (QS) in a relay.
- As soon as a crew has the qualifying commonplace in a single relay, it could actually enter all relays the place it’s earned the “B” lower, formally referred to as the “Provisional Customary” (PS).
- Groups with 4 swimmers certified in particular person occasions can swim relays wherein they’ve the “B” lower.
- Relays are certified “to the crew,” not the person swimmers. Which means groups can take whichever swimmers they wish to use on the relay.
- Groups should have not less than one particular person invite to ship relays.
There’s a variety of deal with relays qualifying and scoring extremely for the groups contending for the NCAA title. That’s been an enormous issue within the males’s crew race this yr as applications like Texas and Indiana add Olympic-level mid-season transfers as a manner not solely to earn extra particular person factors but in addition bolster relays, which rating double particular person occasions.
However relay qualification is vital for groups that aren’t vying for the large trophy or a top-ten end. Relays are a crew train and, thus, mirror on the general well being of a program as a result of hitting the “A” lower isn’t one thing the crew’s greatest star can obtain alone. Qualifying one relay might be an vital step for a rebuilding program, and qualifying all 5 is a big marker for a program on the rise to attain.
Increasingly more applications are determining tips on how to swim quick all yr spherical. It’s changing into modern to go well with up for twin meets. However final yr, the “quick all-year” methodology didn’t carry over to post-invite relay qualification. Solely two males’s groups had the utmost 5 “A” cuts, and simply 14 faculties earned an “A” lower in any respect, down from 16 faculties at this level within the calendar for the final two seasons.
That quantity has exploded this yr, as 20 males’s applications have earned not less than one “A” lower, and 6 have all 5 “A” cuts.
Faculties with 1+ 2023 NCAA ‘A’ Lower
Notice: The desk is organized by the variety of certified relays in descending, then alphabetical order.
| Faculty | # of ‘A’ Cuts | # of ‘B’ Cuts | Whole | A’ Lower Occasion(s) | B’ Lower Occasion(s) |
| Arizona State | 5 | 0 | 5 | 200 FR, 400 FR, 800 FR, 200 MR, 400 MR | |
| Cal | 5 | 0 | 5 | 200 FR, 400 FR, 800 FR, 200 MR, 400 MR | |
| Florida | 5 | 0 | 5 | 200 FR, 400 FR, 800 FR, 200 MR, 400 MR | |
| Indiana | 5 | 0 | 5 | 200 FR, 400 FR, 800 FR, 200 MR, 400 MR | |
| Stanford | 5 | 0 | 5 | 200 FR, 400 FR, 800 FR, 200 MR, 400 MR | |
| Tennessee | 5 | 0 | 5 | 200 FR, 400 FR, 800 FR, 200 MR, 400 MR | |
| NC State | 4 | 1 | 5 | 200 FR, 400 FR, 200 MR, 400 MR | 800 FR |
| Texas | 4 | 1 | 5 | 400 FR, 800 FR, 200 MR, 400 MR | 200 FR |
| Louisville | 4 | 0 | 4 | 200 FR, 400 FR, 800 FR, 200 MR | |
| LSU | 4 | 0 | 4 | 200 FR, 400 FR, 200 MR, 400 MR | |
| Virginia Tech | 4 | 0 | 4 | 200 FR, 400 FR, 200 MR, 400 MR | |
| Florida State | 3 | 2 | 5 | 400 FR, 200 MR, 400 MR | 200 FR, 800 FR |
| Virginia | 3 | 0 | 3 | 200 FR, 400 FR, 400 MR | |
| Auburn | 2 | 2 | 4 | 200 FR, 200 MR | 400 FR, 400 MR |
| Michigan | 2 | 2 | 4 | 200 FR, 200 MR | 400 FR, 800 FR |
| UNC | 2 | 2 | 4 | 200 FR, 400 MR | 400 FR, 200 MR |
| Arizona | 2 | 1 | 3 | 400 FR, 800 FR | 400 MR |
| Alabama | 1 | 2 | 3 | 400 FR | 200 FR, 400 MR |
| Georgia | 1 | 2 | 3 | 800 FR | 400 FR, 400 MR |
| SMU | 1 | 0 | 1 | 800 FR |
Final yr, solely ASU and Cal—arguably the 2 groups in competition for the 2024 crew title—had all 5 “A” cuts. This yr, ASU, Cal, Florida, Indiana, Stanford, and Tennessee have achieved that standing. The upswing might level to a number of issues, together with how the competitors on the prime of the lads’s standings has intensified this season.
Notably, ASU, Florida, and Stanford all reached this mark, as all these applications have managed losses throughout the offseason. ASU noticed a training change, and plenty of of its prime swimmers depart, however they’ve been on the prime or close to the highest of the NCAA ranks in each relay however the 800 free, signaling the relays are going to be their key in direction of remaining within the prime 5. In the meantime, Florida has dealt with the stunning lack of Macguire McDuff nicely, particularly contemplating fifth-year Adam Chaney hasn’t raced this time period.
Along with signaling the well being of a program, relay qualification additionally reveals one thing a few program’s strengths. The 800 freestyle relay has usually been the weak relay of a sprint-oriented Tennessee crew—they didn’t even swim the relay at NCAAs final yr and spoke to the power of the opposite disciplines that Tennessee completed as extremely because it did (sixth) with solely 4 scoring relays. Not solely do the Volunteers have already got the “A” lower this season, however they rank second within the league behind solely Texas.
Talking of the Longhorns, they don’t have all 5 “A” cuts. They’re lacking the 200 freestyle relay, the place they’ve achieved a “B” lower (1:16.73). It’s unsurprising as dash freestyle is a weak spot of an in any other case sturdy crew and one they’ve made an effort to repair by including Chris Guiliano midseason. Whereas relay qualification underlines this weak spot for Texas, it additionally highlights the expansion they’ve seen this season. This time final yr, they’d two “A” cuts and solely three relays eligible for NCAAs.
Different groups which have seen main progress of their relays embrace LSU and UNC. Final yr, each earned their one NCAA “A” lower at conferences, which made LSU eligible for 4 relays and UNC three. Neither had an “A” or “B” lower after invitations final yr, however the Tigers and Tar Heels have hit the bottom working this season. LSU owns 4 “A” cuts and is barely lacking a “B” lower within the 800 freestyle relay. UNC has two “A” cuts and two “B” cuts and, like LSU, is barely lacking a lower within the 800 freestyle relay to have all 5 eligible at NCAAs.
Louisville, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Arizona, Michigan, and SMU are the opposite faculties which have an “A” lower that didn’t at this level final season. It’s an vital mark for all six faculties, notably Virginia, which is trying to arrange an impactful recruiting class becoming a member of the crew subsequent season with a bounce-back yr in 2024-25. The Cavaliers impressed within the 200 free and 400 medley relays at midseason, lacking the American document within the latter by a few half-second.
On the flip facet, the suspended Notre Dame crew and Texas A&M are the 2 applications that appeared on this record final yr that are actually absent. The Aggies are lacking an “A” lower however do have 4 “B” cuts.
As SMU is now within the ACC, no mid-major applications have an “A” lower but. Nevertheless, Princeton earned a “B” lower within the 400 freestyle relay (2:49.93) and Military within the 200 medley relay (1:23.85). Princeton is .14 seconds from the two:49.79 qualifying commonplace, whereas Military is .23 seconds away. The 200 medley relay qualifying commonplace is 1:23.62.