Dunlop 2014-2015 Men’s College Squash Preseason Team Rankings

In October, a series of College Squash Association rule changes were announced. This included an addition to the Ranking Rules that stipulated “CSA varsity coaches will vote on the top-25 positions for the preseason ranking positions. The Ranking Chair and the Executive Administrator will determine the remaining positions in the rankings.”

In accordance with this new rule, over three-quarters of varsity coaches cast their ballots according to the following parameters:

• Coaches were provided with a summary of each school’s team preview information (returning players, graduating/non-returning players, and expected additions) to assist in evaluating the teams.
• Teams received points for every vote they received. For example, each first place vote garnered 25 points, a second place vote garnered 24 points, a third place vote garnered 23 points, etc.
• If there was a tie, the team with the higher ranking at the conclusion of last season received the higher ranking position in the preseason rankings.
• Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own school.
• The poll was based on how strong teams are at the beginning of the season and not how strong teams will be at the end of the season. Coaches took into consideration if players are abroad during the Fall semester.
• Teams in the top 25 would be unable to appeal their preseason ranking position.

Last season’s national champions, Harvard, took the top position in the poll. The varsity coaches moved St. Lawrence to 2nd, followed by Trinity, Yale, Rochester, and Columbia. With the talent amongst the top 10 teams, this season should be very competitive.

Drexel jumped into the 12th position, while Western Ontario and the Naval Academy moved to 15th and 16th, respectively.

The coaches moved George Washington up to the 17th position, while MIddlebury dropped to 19th and Wesleyan to 20th.

Amherst and Bowdoin switched positions. The Jeffs took over 22nd, while the Polar Bears moved to 23rd.

In the 34th – 37th range, Tufts, Denison, and Haverford each moved up a spot, while Boston College dropped two positions and Colgate dropped one spot.

Northwestern moved up to 45th, Bryant moved up to 48, and Fordham moved up to 50th.

Select schools have already commenced their seasons.  The results of these early matches were not factored into the preseason rankings. Teams that did not compete in the 2013 – 2014 Men’s College Squash Association National Team Championships were not ranked.

Below are the 2014 – 2015 Dunlop Men’s College Squash Association preseason team rankings.  Listed after each school’s name is their final ranking from last season, and the overall number of votes and points received in the varsity coaches’ poll.

1. Harvard University (1; 25 Votes Received for 606 Points)
2. St. Lawrence University (5; 24 Votes Received for 553 Points)
3. Trinity College (2; 23 Votes Received for 541 Points)
4. Yale University (3; 24 Votes Received for 525 Points)
5. Rochester, University of (7; 24 Votes Received for 489 Points)
6. Columbia University (10; 24 Votes Received for 475 Points)
7. Franklin and Marshall College (4; 24 Votes Received for 456 Points)
8. Cornell University (6; 24 Votes Received for 451 Points)
9. Pennsylvania, University of (8; 24 Votes Received for 451 Points)
10. Princeton University (9; 24 Votes Received for 391 Points)
11. Dartmouth College (11; 23 Votes Received for 340 Points)
12. Drexel University (16; 24 Votes Received for 316 Points)
13. Bates College (13; 23 Votes Received for 312 Points)
14. Williams College (14; 25 Votes Received for 302 Points)
15. Western Ontario, University of  (12; 23 Votes Received for 277 Points)
16. Naval Academy (15; 23 Votes Received for 268 Points)
17. George Washington University (20; 24 Votes Received for 215 Points)
18. Brown University (18; 24 Votes Received for 213 Points)
19. Middlebury College (17; 24 Votes Received for 201 Points)
20. Wesleyan University (19; 23 Votes Received for 159 Points)
21. Amherst College (22; 23 Votes Received for 123 Points)
22. Bowdoin College (21; 21 Votes Received for 118 Points)
23. Colby College (23; 23 Votes Received for 80 Points)
24. Hamilton College (24; 23 Votes Received for 72 Points)
25. Connecticut College (25; 18 Votes Received for 36 Points)
26. Hobart College (26; 9 Votes Received for 14 Points)
27. Bucknell University (27; 2 Votes Received for 2 Points)
28. Stanford University (28; 4 Votes Received for 7 Points)
29. Georgetown University (29)
30. Johns Hopkins University (30)
31. MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) (31)
32. Northeastern University (32)
33. Tufts University (34; 1 Vote Received for 2 Points)
34. Denison University (35; 1 Vote Received for 1 Point)
35. Boston College (33)
36. Haverford College (37)
37. Colgate University (36)
38. Lehigh University (38)
39. Boston University (39)
40. Washington University in St. Louis (40)
41. Chicago, University of (41)
42. New York University (42)
43. Charleston, College of (43)
44. Pennsylvania State University (44)
45. Northwestern University (46)
46. Richmond, University of (45)
47. Bryant University (48)
48. Swarthmore College (47)
49. California Berkeley, University of (49)
50. Fordham University (52)
51. Ithaca College (50)
52. Southern California (USC), University of (51)
53. Washington, University of (53)
54. Vassar College (54)
55. Siena College (55)
56. Notre Dame, University of (56)
57. Vanderbilt University (57)
58. Minnesota, University of (58)
59. Sewanee: University of the South (59)