With just one week remaining in the varsity regular season, the latest CSA team rankings have been updated to reflect all match results through February 18. Powered by the CSA’s ELO-based algorithm, these rankings provide an objective and interconnected view of team performances throughout the season, with closely contested matches significantly influencing the standings.
While this past weekend featured a lighter slate of matches, several key contests impacted the rankings. On the men’s side, Franklin & Marshall secured an important victory over Colby, Harvard strengthened its position with a win against Drexel, UVA edged out Cornell, and Williams came away with a solid win over Dartmouth. On the women’s side, Bowdoin defeated F&M, Colby picked up a key win against Bates, UVA continued its strong run with a victory over Cornell, and Dartmouth took down Williams.
As teams make their final push toward the postseason, every match carries weight. The next rankings update, scheduled for Monday, February 24, will be pivotal, as these rankings will determine both selection and seeding for the end-of-season championships. Stay tuned for what promises to be an exciting conclusion to the regular season.
The full rankings can be found here. As a reminder, these rankings do not account for any matches played after February 18. The CSA will continue to update rankings throughout the remainder of the season as teams compete for postseason positioning.
ELO Rankings: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Season
The CSA’s ELO-based ranking algorithm provides a dynamic and interconnected view of team standings by analyzing all matches played throughout the season. This method forms a comprehensive “spider web” of results linked through common opponents, ensuring that every match carries significant weight in determining rankings. The algorithm emphasizes season-long consistency by considering each team’s best wins, worst losses, and overall performance, rather than isolated results. Notably, ELO evaluates only wins and losses—without factoring in the margin of victory—so every result, regardless of scoreline, has a full impact on the rankings. Matches between closely ranked teams influence standings the most, making every game crucial to the final rankings.
