The 2025-2026 NCAA Women's Division I Championships are already generating buzz, and the post-invite power rankings are in! Yesterday, the rankings were released, and the anticipation is building. Virginia, aiming for its sixth consecutive title, currently leads the pack. But what do you think will happen?
We're launching a new series called "Over/Unders" to give you, the public, a voice in the conversation. Here's how it works:
We'll provide our rankings, and you get to weigh in. If you believe a team will perform better than or equal to our prediction, use the + (upvote). If you think they'll do worse than our pick, use the – (downvote).
For example: If we rank Indiana women's team to finish 7th, and you think they will finish 5th or higher, upvote with a +. If you think they will finish 8th or lower, downvote with a –.
Over/under is a common betting term in sports, but don't worry, there's no money involved here! It's all about having fun, debating, and seeing how your predictions stack up against ours. So, let's dive into the rankings!
SwimSwam Women’s Power Rankings (Post-Invite)
| Post-Invite Rank | Team | Pre-Invite Rank |
| :-------------- | :----------- | :-------------- |
| 1 | Virginia | 1 |
| 2 | Stanford | 2 |
| 3 | Texas | 3 |
| 4 | Michigan | 8 |
| 5 | Indiana | 6 |
| 6 | Cal | 4 |
| 7 | Louisville | 8 |
| 8 | NC State | 5 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 6 |
| 10 | Florida | 10 |
| 11 | Alabama | 16 |
| 12 | USC | 11 |
| 13 | Ohio State | 12 |
| 14 | Georgia | 14 |
| 15 | LSU | 20 |
| 16 | Duke | 13 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 23 |
| 18 | Pitt | NR |
| 19 | Auburn | 24 |
| 20 | Purdue | 19 |
| 21 | Miami-FL | 18 |
| 22 | South Carolina | 21 |
| 23 | Fresno State | NR |
| 24 | Kansas | 25 |
| 25 | Arizona State| 17 |
| HM | UNC | |
| HM | Nebraska | |
| HM | Florida State| |
| HM | UCLA | |
| HM | Rutgers | |
| HM | Arkansas | |
Anya Pelshaw, the Author
Anya has been with SwimSwam since June 2021 as both a writer and social media coordinator. She has covered the Women's NCAA Championships in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. She also attended the 2023 US Summer Nationals and the 2024 European Championships.
But here's where it gets interesting... Virginia is the clear frontrunner, but can they maintain their dominance? And which teams are poised for an upset? This is the part most people miss: the impact of these rankings on the athletes' mindset.
What do you think? Which teams are being underestimated, and which are being overrated? Share your predictions and join the debate in the comments below!
