Rice Topped American Women’s Swimming Coaches Poll

The Owls secured the top spot following back-to-back conference championship victories.

Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Swimming

Rice Topped American Women’s Swimming Coaches Poll

Rice University has been voted as the favorite to win the American women's swimming and diving conference in the 2026-27 preseason coaches poll. This recognition follows consecutive championship titles for the team.

Why it matters

The coaches poll serves as an early indicator of expectations for the upcoming season, reflecting the recent dominance of Rice within the nine-team conference. The Owls aim to maintain their momentum as they prepare for the next championship.

Rice led the conference with 1,404.5 points during the 2026 championship event. A total of nine teams currently compete within the American women's swimming and diving conference.

The players

Rice University

This Houston-based research university fields the Owls athletic teams and is the back-to-back reigning American conference champion in women's swimming.

Liberty University

Based in Lynchburg, Virginia, this university operates a prominent collegiate swimming program that finished behind Rice in the 2026 conference standings.

The details

The preseason ranking was determined through a vote conducted by the head coaches of the nine conference teams. This designation follows a strong run where Rice claimed the American championship title in both 2025 and 2026.

FIU secured the American championship title in 2024.
Rice won the American championship title in 2025.
Rice repeated as the American championship winner in 2026.
The 2027 American Women's Swimming and Diving Championship is set for February 17-20, 2027.

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Season Trajectory

This preseason ranking positions Rice as the team to beat for the 2027 title, marking a significant shift from the 2024 landscape when FIU claimed the top spot. The Owls are now heavy favorites to secure a three-peat in the upcoming conference championship.

With Rice entering the season as the consensus favorite, the team faces the added pressure of maintaining its 154.5-point margin of victory seen over Liberty in the 2026 standings. All eight rival teams must now overcome the current championship benchmark to disrupt the projected outcome.

The takeaway

Preseason rankings often mirror historical performance, but the upcoming championship provides the definitive test of whether Rice can sustain its multi-year lead. Athletes and fans should look toward the February championship as the ultimate indicator of conference supremacy.