The NCAA has certain standards for automatically qualifying for the NCAA championship meet. For instance, the A cut for 50 free is 18.96. If you tie or go lower, you automatically qualify. Those relays were faster than the cuts, so they are in.

Then there are B cuts in individual events and provisional cuts in relays. If there are not enough A qualifiers to fill three heats at NCAAs, they will invite swimmers with B cuts in those events, and that gets a bit like NCAA tournament bids in hoops. If you are in an event like 50 free, there will be a few A cuts and ton of B cuts. Not all the Bs will go. But if you in say 400IM or 200 fly, you may have a better chance. My son swims D2 and is in B cut territory in 2 events, one which he won't make it, the other in which he has a decent chance. One nice thing a B cut will do, I believe, is qualify you for Academic All American.
[Post edited by Happy Dog at 02/25/2021 06:03AM]