SEC Swimming and Diving

Kentucky swimmer dives into water Thanks to ukathletics for the photo .

SEC Swimming and Diving is clearly the best in the nation.

Here's why.

SEC Swimming and Diving teams have won the Women’s NCAA Division I National Championship for nine of the past 10 years! Southeastern Conference (SEC) Men’s teams have won the Men’s NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving National Championship seven of the past twelve years and five of six. 2008 was an "off" year. Still, more SEC Swimming and Diving teams finished in the top-10 (4) than any other conference.

If you look at national polls right now, the SEC has at least 5 teams in both the Men’s and Women's NCAA swimming top 25. As will be discussed below, the Big Ten and PAC-10 sometimes have more teams in the Women’s top 25, but the SEC dominates at the top. 3 of the top 5 women’s teams were SEC Swimming and Diving teams at the end of 2006, for instance.

How do the other conferences stack up?

2. PAC-10 Arizona had a breakthrough season in 2008, as both their men's and woman's teams won the D1 NCAA Championship. 3 of the top 5 teams in both men's and woman's finals were from the Pac-10. Stanford won the Men’s National Championship in 1998 and won 6 of 7 Women’s Swimming and Diving NCAA Championships before the SEC started its run in 1999. Also, USC won the Championship in 1997. So, the PAC-10 is strong currently and has a strong history. It just hasn’t quite matched up to the SEC in the past decade.

Thanks to utsports.com for photos 2 and 3 above. Thanks to ukathletics.com for photos 1 and 4 above. All rights are reserved for these photos.

Check out this article about Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz: Best All-Time Olympic Swimmer

3. Big Ten Had the most teams ranked in the Men’s and Women’s final 2006 Swimming and Diving polls (7 in each). But, remarkably really, non in the Women’s top-10 and only Michigan (8th) and Minnesota (9th) in the Men’s top 10. No Big Ten team has ever won the Women’s NCAA championship. And only Michigan (1995) and Indiana (68-73) have won on the Men’s side. Obviously, the conference is just not competitive any more at the top of the sport.

4. Big-12 Not much to say really. Only 1 team ranked in the Men’s Swimming and Diving top 25 and only two in the Women’s poll. However, it is notable that Texas won the Men’s National Championship three times from 2000-2002 and won the Women’s NCAA Championship seven times between 1984 – 1991.

5. ACC Three teams ranked in the top 25 of both the final Men’s and Women’s 2006 polls. But, none of them in the top 10 and no National Championship’s in either Men’s or Women’s Swimming and Diving – ever.

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Here's how we rank the SEC Swimming and Diving programs (Go to individual team pages by clicking on their link).

1. Auburn Tigers No doubt about this. The Auburn Men have won five of the past six NCAA titles and seven of the last twelve years (finished 5th in 2008). They also have been the SEC Swimming and Diving Champion for 12 straight years! The Auburn women’s team won the 2007 NCAA National Championship (came in 2d in '08) and also won it in 2002, 2003, and 2004.

2. Georgia Bulldogs Georgia and Auburn have been battling it out for the past decade as the two best Women’s Swimming and Diving programs in the country. The Georgia Women’s team won the National Championship in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2005. This year, the Lady Bulldogs are currently ranked #1 nationally. The Bulldog Men do not have as strong a history as their female counterparts, but they are still always strong -- currently ranked 11th nationally. The Bulldogs were led by 2007 SEC Men’s diver of the year – Chris Colwill. On the Women’s side – Kara Lynn Joyce was named SEC Swimmer of the Year. The Lady Bulldog’s coach, Jack Bauerle, was named SEC Coach of the year for 2007 and also selected to coach the 2008 USA Women’s Olympic Team.

3. Florida Gators Florida had a period when they were tops in the sport. And, they are clearly moving up. In fact, both the Gator men and women swimmers have finished second to Auburn each of the past 2 years in the SEC Swimming and Diving Championship. The Gator men won the national championship in 1983 and 1984. The Lady Gator’s won it all in the first NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship – 1982. Currently, the UF men are ranked 7th; the women 6th nationally.

4. Tennessee Volunteers The Men’s team won the National Championship in 1978. That’s it as far as historic national championships. The Lady Vol Swimmers are currently ranked 10th nationally; the men -- 11th.

5. Alabama Crimson Tide Alabama's men's team is ranked 24th nationally currently.

6. Kentucky Wildcats Men’s team ranked 23rd nationally.

7. LSU Tigers The Men’s team is ranked 18th nationally currently.

8. South Carolina Gamecocks

9. Arkansas Razorbacks Lady Backs are ranked 19th right now. Arkansas doesn't have a Men’s Swimming and Diving team.

10. Vanderbilt Commodores Vanderbilt only very recently started a Women's Swimming and Diving team. Considering how young the program is, they are doing pretty well. The Dores don't have a mens swimming team.

11. Ole Miss and Mississippi State do not have Swimming and Diving programs – at least not that compete at the SEC/NCAA level.

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Share the Wealth Not rated yet
while i do agree that the SEC has the strongest swimming and diving record, lets not forget that other conferences such as the BIG EAST, boast strong teams ...

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