BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Minnesota State University, Mankato sits atop the NSIC Swimming & Diving Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Mavericks amassed 81 points and nine first place votes to finish 14 points ahead of St. Cloud State, which had 67 points and the other first place vote. Augustana was third with 66 points while Sioux Falls (52) and the University of Mary (47) round out the top five.
Minnesota State's Savannah Acker was named the NSIC Preseason Swimmer of the Year while Augustana's Avery Lommel was named the NSIC Preseason Diver of the Year for the third straight season.
NSIC coaches rank each team from 1 to 9 with a first-place vote receiving 9 points, second place 8, third place 7, etc. Coaches do not rank their own team or vote for their own student-athletes in the preseason poll.
The NSIC sponsored women’s swimming and diving during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years with the aid of affiliated members. In 2016-17 season, NSIC Swimming and Diving returned as a seven team all NSIC sport. In 2019-20 the NSIC moved to eight participating members with the addition of Southwest Minnesota State then a nine-team league with the addition of Concordia-St. Paul in 2020-21 and now is a 10 team conference as the University of Jamestown joined for the 2025-26 academic year.
The NSIC Swimming and Diving season will get underway on Thursday, September 24 with the regular season culminating at the NSIC Swimming & Diving Championship on February 10-13, 2026 at the Hulbert Aquatic Center in West Fargo, North Dakota.