The Denver and Yale are the CollegeSwimming 2016-17 Mid-Major Champions. It is the first time in the program's fourteen year history that there has been a tie. Both programs are led by a pair of Texas-exes head coaches Brian Schrader (Denver) and Yale's Jim Henry.
The Pioneers and Bulldogs won the Summit and Ivy League titles respectively. DU was powered by All-Americans Bailey Andison and Amanda Sanders and NCAA Qualifiers Morgan McCormick and Madeline Myers. Yale University tied DU for the top spot following their Ivy League Championship. Sprinters Isabella Hindley, and Kina Zhoun and breaststroker Cha O'Leary led the Bulldogs to their first Ivy League title since 1997.
Conference champions Boise State (MWC) and Akron (MAC) finished third and fourth while Harvard finished fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Florida International, Southern Methodist, Florida Gulf Coast, Houston and Eastern Michigan.
Past Champions | Conference Rankings | Mid-Major Definition
2017 CollegeSwimming Mid-Major Top 50
Past Women's Champions
2015-16 - Denver
2014-15 - San Diego State
2013-14 - San Diego State
2012-13 - Harvard
2010-12 - Ohio
2010-11 - Princeton
2009-10 - Princeton
2008-09 - Harvard
2007-08 - Harvard
2006-07 - Harvard
2005-06 - Harvard
2004-05 - UC-Irvine
2003-04 - Miami-OH
Conference Rankings
Previous year's ranking in parentheses
1 | Ivy League (1) | 183 |
1 | Mid-American (3) | 183 |
3 | MWC (2) | 198 |
4 | American Athletic (4) | 204 |
5 | C-USA (6) | 235 |
6 | MPSF (5) | 280 |
7 | Patriot (8) | 358 |
8 | CAA (7) | 361 |
9 | CCSA (9) | 367 |
10 | Atlantic 10 (10) | 410 |
11 | WAC (11) | 411 |
12 | MVC (16) | 412 |
13 | Big East (13) | 414 |
14 | Horizon (14) | 435 |
15 | Summit (15) | 471 |
16 | America East (17) | 502 |
17 | Northeast (18) | 559 |
18 | MAAC (19) | 682 |
Mid-Major Definition
Beginning in 2015, CollegeSwimming defined Mid-Majors as those programs outside of the Power 5 (Big Ten, Pac 12, Big 12, ACC, and SEC) or those that offered fewer than 50% of the maximum number of scholarships allowed by the NCAA.
But what about other "Major" schools?
With the institution of the College Football Playoff in 2014, significant gaps emerged between the Power 5 and other FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) programs in the American, C-USA, Mid-American, and Mountain West. This resulted in significant differences in swimming budgets with other FBS' swimming teams much closer to more traditional Mid-Majors (in both relative terms and actual dollars).
Average Division I Swimming Budgets | Men | Women |
---|---|---|
Power 5: ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, SEC | $1,283,138 | $1,435,581 |
FBS: American, C-USA, Mid-American, Mountain West | $530,202 | $798,656 |
FCS/Non-Football Conferences | $331,305 | $443,579 |