While our College Power Rankings can always been found on our permanent rankings page, every week during the season we will post the current edition here on the front page to facilitate discussion in the comments and serve as a permalink for each week’s rankings.
While #2 North Carolina ran away with Commonwealth Cup as expected, performances from elsewhere in the tournament shake up our rankings this week in a big way. Northeastern moves up three spots to #11 after compiling a pair of wins over Ohio State, who fall to #14 and drag Dartmouth down with them.
The biggest surprise of the weekend, Pittsburgh, goes from unranked to #13. Despite a pool play loss to unranked Georgia and a pair of losses to UNC, Pitt proved more than worthy of their inclusion with wins over Northeastern, Ohio State, and Vermont. Pitt’s ascension also buoys the resume of Georgia Tech, who at 10-1 now sit at #12.
Virginia also sees a major boost thanks to their performance in Axton. With just one loss on their ledger — to powerhouse UNC — and a fifth-place finish, they move up six places and slot in at #16, just ahead of a slipping Vermont team that struggled with several players missing through injury.
Tough break for Florida, who won all their games against college opposition at Commonwealth Cup, but never had the chance to face a ranked team and earn their way up the board. They may be undervalued at #22.
With several teams in contention for the last spot in the Power Rankings, this week the honor goes to Michigan, who played closer to Virginia and Florida than fellow contenders for this spot, NC State.
Several D-III Women’s Top 10 teams were in action this past weekend, but largely played to expectations while taking care of business against lower competition, so stand pat. Scoring just one win at Commonwealth Cup may not look great for #1 Oberlin, but they played close with several D-I teams in the 25-30 range so retain their perch atop D-III. #3 St. Olaf held on for a one-point win over #9 Carleton, and both otherwise cleaned up at a small one-day round robin in Minnesota. Elsewhere, #5 Truman State made the final at Dust Bowl before falling to D-I Kansas.
Skidmore makes a dramatic return to the Power Rankings for the first time in 2020, thanks to a tournament title at Bring the Huckus. They slot in at #13, just ahead of a Haverford & Bryn Mawr squad who they beat in the semifinals. For their part, the Sneetches snagged wins over #14 Wesleyan and #18 Swarthmore in New Jersey.
In the South Central, #16 Trinity put up a decent showing against mostly D-I competition at Big D in little d, while regional counterparts John Brown shoot up seven spots to #17 thanks to a decent performance at Dust Bowl. They’re joined by Rice, who make the Top 25 this week after a .500 weekend at Big D.
While the competition wasn’t overly strong, a 7-1 record at UMBC Safari Party was good enough to earn Lehigh inclusion as well.
Clearing out the back end to make space for the new squads were the idle Lewis & Clark, Catholic, and Georgia College. They’ll have their chance to earn their way back in next time they take the fields.
D-III Men’s Power Rankings
Rank
Team
Change
Prior
Dropped from rankings:Oklahoma Christian (2), Bates (23), Mary Washington (24), Williams (25)
As quickly as they came, they went. Without their star Air Force recruits, Oklahoma Christian struggled at Dust Bowl, losing to multiple B teams and barely holding off weaker competition. They fall from #2 all the way out as the Power Rankings reward results over potential, but we fully expect to see them back as soon as their full roster takes the field.
Also falling dramatically this week are Luther, whose 4-4 showing at Dust Bowl included some pretty ugly losses. They slide from #6 to #23.
Reclaiming their spot at #2 is Missouri S&T, who thumped three D-III teams and beat out Chicago for third place at Music City. We can’t wait to see their Top 5 matchup with #4 Richmond at FCS on Saturday.
Oberlin go 4-1 at the Groves Day one-day round robin, but fall to #15 behind newcomers Cedarville, who swept the field at the event.
South Central pair Rice and Truman State also join the Power Rankings this week by way of decent showings at Dust Bowl. Their rise also sees Sul Ross State inch up a few places to #16, thanks to a beatdown of Rice earlier this month.
Amherst went 6-1 to place second at Bring the Huckus and make the Top 25 for the first time this season at #24, just ahead of New England regional foes Brandeis, who went 3-3 at Oak Creek Invite but got no connectivity to other D-III programs.
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