10-17-2026, 05:47 PM
Stanford swimming had its second (and final) regular season College Swimming League (CSL) match yesterday against Cal, NC State, and Indiana. Unfortunately, Stanford finished last (after winning the first CSL match). Cal finished 3rd yesterday (2nd previously). NC State and Indiana are guaranteed to be in the championship match.
The CSL rules indicate that Stanford has 4 (first) + 1 (fourth) = 5 league points. The average league points (ie, 2.5 for Stanford) is used for determining which teams are in the championship match (top 3 teams qualify without having to do the wildcard) or have to compete in a wild card match (4 teams compete for the final championship match spot), or are eliminated (bottom 5 teams).
Cal also has 5 league points, finishing 2nd and 3rd. But, because they split with Stanford (Stanford beat Cal once but lost once), the total meet points is a tie breaker. So, Cal is ahead of Stanford in the rankings. Cal is going to be in the wild card match.
Of the teams that have finished their 2-match season, Stanford is in 5th place. To knock Stanford out of the wild card match would require 3 as-yet-unfinished teams to wind up with 5 or more league points (and the other tie breakers not to go for Stanford).
There is one more CSL match (Auburn (2 league points), Alabama (2 league points), Georgia (1 league point), Tennessee(3 league points)) on Nov. 23. The only way for Stanford to (possibly) be bumped out of the wild card match is if these teams finish that match in either of these orders:
Auburn (6), Alabama (5), Tennessee (5), Georgia (2)
Georgia (5), Alabama (5), Tennessee (5), Auburn.(3)
( Alabama(6), Auburn(5), Tennessee (5), Georgia (2) isn't an issue because Stanford beat Auburn.)
I'm hoping that Stanford can win the wild CARD match!
(Hmmm... I haven't (and won't) work through all the possibilities, but it seems possible at first glance that 3 teams could finish with the same number of league points, but an inconsistent situation with the first tie breaker. That is, that A beat B head-to-head, B beat C head-to-head, and C beat A head-to-head.)
The CSL rules indicate that Stanford has 4 (first) + 1 (fourth) = 5 league points. The average league points (ie, 2.5 for Stanford) is used for determining which teams are in the championship match (top 3 teams qualify without having to do the wildcard) or have to compete in a wild card match (4 teams compete for the final championship match spot), or are eliminated (bottom 5 teams).
Cal also has 5 league points, finishing 2nd and 3rd. But, because they split with Stanford (Stanford beat Cal once but lost once), the total meet points is a tie breaker. So, Cal is ahead of Stanford in the rankings. Cal is going to be in the wild card match.
Of the teams that have finished their 2-match season, Stanford is in 5th place. To knock Stanford out of the wild card match would require 3 as-yet-unfinished teams to wind up with 5 or more league points (and the other tie breakers not to go for Stanford).
There is one more CSL match (Auburn (2 league points), Alabama (2 league points), Georgia (1 league point), Tennessee(3 league points)) on Nov. 23. The only way for Stanford to (possibly) be bumped out of the wild card match is if these teams finish that match in either of these orders:
Auburn (6), Alabama (5), Tennessee (5), Georgia (2)
Georgia (5), Alabama (5), Tennessee (5), Auburn.(3)
( Alabama(6), Auburn(5), Tennessee (5), Georgia (2) isn't an issue because Stanford beat Auburn.)
I'm hoping that Stanford can win the wild CARD match!
(Hmmm... I haven't (and won't) work through all the possibilities, but it seems possible at first glance that 3 teams could finish with the same number of league points, but an inconsistent situation with the first tie breaker. That is, that A beat B head-to-head, B beat C head-to-head, and C beat A head-to-head.)