By Greg EarhartIt’s a source of pride or a source of ire. It’s something to be publicized or something meaningless.
I’m talking, of course, about the poll.
Say what you want, but they’re a source of discussion (or argument) and in many ways we should be thankful we have them, and also thankful that they don’t have too much importance.
The polls aren’t rocket science, but then again we’re not out to cure cancer here. Polls are a way to give our sport, teams, and athletes some publicity in a crowed sports information field. While gaining entry into the top twenty-five is a tough task, the past couple of years have seen the poll become more responsive, more accountable, and more valuable. When a handful of voters picked among the privileged it was rare to see more than twenty-nine teams gain any recognition and the average change in poll position was less than ¼ of one spot.
Tomorrow the latest Division I poll will be released. It’s a supplemental poll, one that was issued following a weekend of meets that produced upheaval among the top ten. It’s also a poll that provides a measure of recognition to over sixty women’s and fifty men’s programs – more than double than that found in past years.
That participation is good for our sport because it makes more teams, coaches, and swimmers a part of it. Last year one school stood above all others in spreading the word about the poll. It wasn’t Stanford, Florida or Texas. It was Toledo. They didn’t crack the top twenty-five. Thirty-plus voters ensured that. At least a few of them, however, recognized that the Rockets are up to something good and by doing so one UT helps showcase a couple of other UT’s (Texas and Tennessee).
Many argue that the only ranking that matters is the standings in March. If that was true, then there shouldn’t be conference championships or even a dual meet season. We do, however, and the poll serves as a proxy for how teams would perform in head-to-head matchups. Is it perfect? No, but we’re not exactly trying to cure cancer here.
What we’re trying to do is strengthen (and expand) our sport. We do that when more teams have a meaningful opportunity to bring some positive publicity to their programs. Contrast that with college football where polls DO matter and where preseason polls have cost teams the opportunity to compete for a national championship.
What polls, do – along with dual-meet records, conference championships and NCAA meets – is provide teams and their student-athletes these meaningful opportunities and exposure.