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 conference they find to be the toughest:
RESULTS
Question: Which conference do you feel is, as a whole, toughest:
- SEC – 39.5%
- Pac-12 – 26.3%
- Big Ten – 20.7%
- ACC – 13.5%
39.5% of voters said they found the SEC to be the toughest conference overall, with the Pac-12 trailing at 26.3%. The Big Ten (20.7%) and ACC (13.5%) lagged behind.
Conversations about conference toughness are, of course, entirely determined by how one defines “toughness.” The argument could center on winning times. It could center on depth – what it took to make the top 8, the top 16 or the top 24. It could center on which conferences have the most NCAA title contenders, either individually or as teams, and where each conference’s teams will finish at NCAAs.
It might be worth a deeper statistical dive once all the conferences have wrapped up: comparing depth, winning times, records and NCAA-contending teams and/or individuals to come up with some better metrics of toughness. One factor that may have swayed this poll is that it ran after SECs had dominated most of the coverage for men and women during week 1 of major NCAA conference meets. The poll ran during men’s ACCs, men’s Big Tens and women’s Pac-12s, but before men’s Pac-12s.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks voters for their thoughts on whether the NCAA should mirror the move of most major conferences and score down to 24th place instead of 16th in each event:
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ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE
The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner
It would be interesting to see how many NCAA swimmers came from each conference each year. In my opinion, that’s the best definition of strength of the conference.
I agree the SEC is the best overall conference. I think if you look at the number of swimmers invited to the NCAA championship it proves the point. The SEC leads the way with between 75 and 80 representing 11 teams. The PAC 12 has about 60 swimmers from 8 teams but 41 of those are from just three teams. The Big Ten is represented by about 50 swimmers from 10 teams and the ACC has 55 to 60 swimmers from 8 teams.
SEC has the most depth out of every conference no one can deny that.
SEC rules!!! No doubt. She-Vols ROCK and Boy-Vols are good too
Your “She-Vols” are good but just didn’t come up with SEC Championship this year. Aggie women really rock (weren’t expected to win it but we’ll be hanging another SEC Championship banner from the rafters soon)!!! That Championship continues to run through College Station, Texas!!
Good luck to y’all at NCAA’s though!