Philadelphia, PA — October 3, 2025 – The College Squash Association (CSA) has released the 2025–26 Men’s and Women’s Varsity Preseason Team Rankings, officially setting the stage for a season of big moments, bold moves, and the chase for the championships.
Every new season brings change, and the 2025–26 campaign is no exception. With nearly 200 players graduating last spring and more than 200 new student-athletes joining the CSA this fall, rosters across the country have been completely reshaped. The impact is already showing in the preseason rankings, where turnover has shuffled the standings and created fresh opportunities for teams to rise.
On the women’s side, Harvard opens the year at number one, eager to avenge its narrow Howe Cup Final loss to Trinity last spring. Right behind them are Princeton, Penn, and Stanford, each bringing depth and ambition to the new season. Trinity, who graduated several players from its top nine, begins the year in the fifth position but remains a dangerous presence. What makes this season especially compelling is the closeness of the top five teams – Harvard, Princeton, Penn, Stanford, and Trinity are separated by razor-thin margins, and every dual match between them has the potential to swing the national picture. The Howe Cup promises to be one of the most competitive and unpredictable battles in recent memory.
In the next wave of teams, the NESCAC conference is showing remarkable strength throughout the teens in the rankings. Amherst leads the group at number 12 and looks poised for a breakout season after cracking the top dozen. They are joined closely by Tufts (13), Williams (15), Middlebury (16), Colby (17), Bowdoin (18), and Wesleyan (19), underscoring both the depth and competitiveness of the conference.
In the Men’s division, University of Pennsylvania begins the season where it left off, holding the number one ranking after capturing back-to-back Potter Cup titles. The Quakers are chasing a three-peat, but they will be pressed closely by Trinity and Harvard, ranked second and third, two perennial powerhouses with multiple national championships to their names. Both are right on Penn’s heels and eager to reclaim the top spot. At the same time, the strength of the top eight as a whole stands out this season, with several programs positioned to keep the pressure on and ensure that the race for the Potter Cup remains highly competitive.
Rising programs are also making noise in the preseason rankings. MIT, Amherst, and the Naval Academy each surged upward by five spots, thanks to strong incoming classes that bolster their starting lineups and raise expectations for breakthrough seasons.
How the Preseason Rankings Are Determined
Preseason rankings give us a first look at how teams stack up on paper before the opening serve of the season. Because college matches are played with nine players a side, each team’s top nine form the basis of the rankings. Player ratings in the Club Locker system provide the starting point, and for newcomers without a rating, the CSA worked with coaches and available results to make the best possible estimates.
From there, the numbers are put to work. Every team is matched against every other team in a virtual round robin, with individual match outcomes shaped by each player’s rating. When the simulated matches are finished, the teams with the most wins rise to the top. While this process can’t capture the unpredictability of live play, it does reflect roster strength and helps set expectations as the season begins.
The result is not a prediction of how the season will end, but a snapshot of where things stand right now – a starting line for what promises to be another exciting year of college squash.
