We are excited to announce a small adjustment to the Sailing World Rankings Presented by Gill. Working with Sailing World, we have revised our ranking procedure to provide more consistency and quality control.
The new system will function as follows: 16 Ranking Panelists will represent all 7 ICSA Conferences. The individual breakdown by conference is as follows:
- 4 MAISA
- 4 NEISA
- 2 MCSA
- 2 PCCSC
- 2 SAISA
- 1 NWICSA
- 1 SEISA
Panelists will initially serve a three- to four-season term, after which they may continue or may rotate off the panel. Preference will be for panelists to rotate off the panel if another qualified individual exists in their conference.
MAISA Conference Commissioner Mike Callahan and NEISA Conference Commissioner Justin Assad will function as quality control review. We will have access to each ranker’s survey, and we will spot check final rankings for potential errors. This may include things like selecting an inactive team from the drop-down menu. All participating coaches will also have access to final survey results, upon request.
Additionally, we plan to introduce a small narrative component to the rankings. Beginning with the National Rankings in mid-October 2018, we will feature a short write up from several panelists on any notable changes in the Rankings. This could include new teams breaking into the rankings, teams dropping off, or significant changes within the top 20. Beginning with Spring 2019 or Fall 2019, we will bring back our “Preseason Prognostications,” which will be a look at exciting changes for each conference prior to the coming season.
The Sailing World Rankings Presented by Gill have been an important institution for College Sailing for more than two decades, and we are excited to continue this partnership. Sailing World gives the ICSA great outreach to the greater sailing community, and the immediate credibility of sailing’s most recognizable publication.
Lastly, Mike Callahan and I aim to make this product the best it can be in terms of benefitting the ICSA and its member institutions, so we absolutely encourage feedback and suggestions regarding these rankings. Please do not hesitate to contact us, or Sailing World editor, Dave Reed with any further ideas or concerns.
