By Madeline Folsom on SwimSwam
The NCAA has released the Division III Swimming and Diving qualifying standards for the 2026 Championships.
The cutlines are determined based on various 3-year averages.
The A-cuts are based on the 3-year average of the top finisher’s time from finals. The B-cuts are calculated by the 3-year average of the 32nd place time from the meet entry system, unless such calculation is slower. The relay cuts are calculated by the 3-year average of the 20th place time for the men and 24th for the women from the meet entry system, unless such calculation is slower.On the men’s side, many of the cuts got slower from last year with the 1650 freestyle ‘A’ cut jumping from 15:02.59 last year to 15:17.12 for this season. This nearly 15 second add came after nobody earned the ‘A’ cut time. The new standard is still faster than any athlete swam last season with Lucas Lang from the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps swimming the fastest DIII mile at 15:18.01.
Other men’s events that will have slower ‘A’ cut times than last year are the men’s 50 free, 500 free, 100 and 200 backstroke, 100 and 200 breaststroke, and the 400 IM.
The 500 free, 1650 free, and 100 back ‘B’ cuts will remain the same while all the other events got slightly faster from last year.
On the women’s side, the cuts saw the same trend as the men with many getting slower from last year. The 200 fly got nearly two seconds slower to go from 1:56.90 to 1:58.70. This comes after the cut got three seconds faster last season. The 500 free, 200 back, 100 and 200 breast, 100 fly, and 200 and 400 IM times all got slower as well.
The women’s ‘B’ cuts got faster in all but two individual events and one relay: the mile, 200 back, and 400 free relay.
Men’s Cuts
Event Men A Men B Men Inv Individual 50 Free 19.56 20.36 20.14 100 Free 43.15 44.97 44.44 200 Free 1:35.12 1:39.21 1:38.08 500 Free 4:21.39 4:31.24 4:27.59 1650 Free 15:17.12 15:50.88 15:37.60 100 Back 46.42 49.28 48.67 200 Back 1:42.91 1:48.83 1:47.09 100 Breast 52.44 55.19 54.49 200 Breast 1:54.89 2:00.92 1:59.71 100 Fly 46.25 48.58 48.15 200 Fly 1:43.50 1:49.64 1:48.12 200 IM 1:44.71 1:50.08 1:48.95 400 IM 3:50.06 3:58.49 3:54.62 Relays 200 FR NA 1:21.31 1:20.86 400 FR NA 3:00.68 2:59.71 800 FR NA 6:39.86 6:36.90 200 MR NA 1:29.45 1:28.38 400 MR NA 3:17.69 3:15.93Women’s Cuts
Event Women A Women B Women Inv Individual 50 Free 22.46 23.53 23.40 100 Free 48.87 51.35 51.04 200 Free 1:46.12 1:52.06 1:51.54 500 Free 4:48.70 5:00.16 4:58.89 1650 Free 16:27.43 17:21.20 17:19.75 100 Back 53.60 56.58 56.18 200 Back 1:56.50 2:03.17 2:02.09 100 Breast 59.96 1:04.12 1:03.54 200 Breast 2:11.38 2:20.09 2:19.45 100 Fly 53.69 55.86 55.52 200 Fly 1:58.70 2:04.77 2:03.93 200 IM 1:59.63 2:05.61 2:05.42 400 IM 4:14.21 4:29.18 4:26.91 Relays 200 FR NA 1:34.93 1:34.29 400 FR NA 3:29.09 3:27.55 800 FR NA 7:37.07 7:34.48 200 MR NA 1:44.23 1:43.88 400 MR NA 3:49.72 3:48.38You can find the official document here:
2025-26 NCAA DIII CutsComparing to last year’s standards
See 2024-25 standardsMen’s ‘A’ Cut Standards Comparison
Event 2025-26 ‘A’ Cut 2024-25 ‘A’ Cut+ Diff (s) % Diff 50 Free 19.56 19.46 +0.10 +0.51% 100 Free 43.15 43.31 –0.16 –0.37% 200 Free 1:35.12 1:36.16 –1.04 –1.08% 500 Free 4:21.39 4:20.26 +1.13 +0.43% 1650 Free 15:17.12 15:02.59 +14.53 +1.61% 100 Back 46.42 46.29 +0.13 +0.28% 200 Back 1:42.91 1:42.02 +0.89 +0.87% 100 Breast 52.44 52.11 +0.33 +0.63% 200 Breast 1:54.89 1:53.85 +1.04 +0.91% 100 Fly 46.25 46.52 –0.27 –0.58% 200 Fly 1:43.50 1:43.96 –0.46 –0.44% 200 IM 1:44.71 1:44.94 –0.23 –0.22% 400 IM 3:50.06 3:47.19 +2.87 +1.26%Women’s ‘A’ Cut Standards Comparison
Event 2025-26 ‘A’ Cut 2024-25 ‘A’ Cut Diff (s) % Diff 50 Free 22.46 22.65 –0.19 –0.84% 100 Free 48.87 49.31 –0.44 –0.89% 200 Free 1:46.12 1:47.13 –1.01 –0.94% 500 Free 4:48.70 4:45.33 +3.37 +1.18% 1650 Free 16:27.43 16:27.52 –0.09 –0.01% 100 Back 53.60 53.70 –0.10 –0.19% 200 Back 1:56.50 1:55.94 +0.56 +0.48% 100 Breast 59.96 59.84 +0.12 +0.20% 200 Breast 2:11.38 2:10.99 +0.39 +0.30% 100 Fly 53.69 52.92 +0.77 +1.46% 200 Fly 1:58.70 1:56.90 +1.80 +1.55% 200 IM 1:59.63 1:58.27 +1.36 +1.15% 400 IM 4:14.21 4:13.77 +0.44 +0.17%Meet Selection Process
First, the top 20 women and top 16 men in each individual event are selected. After that, members of the top 20 women’s and top 16 men’s relays receive invites. If the maximum invite of 319 women and 260 men is not yet met, swimmers are added one by one in individual events until the invite capacity is reached. There are 24 men’s and 29 women’s diving spots reserved out of the total invites from their respective meets. Invite selection for divers takes place according to regional placements
The meet will take place from March 18-21, 2026 at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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