KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Roadrunners continue to set the pace in the NAIA Men's Soccer landscape. In the latest NAIA Men's Soccer Netting Professionals Top 25 Coaches' Poll, Dalton State (Ga.) remains the nation's No. 1 team, the only program to hold its previous position from the last poll. The Roadrunners earned 10 first-place votes and 498 points, maintaining a narrow edge over No. 2 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), which trails by just 10 points.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
This is the 106^th NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll to be released since the men's soccer program has been eligible for national rankings. They have achieved a national ranking or received votes in 79 of the 106 polls. This is the 29^th top 5 poll appearance for the Roadrunners and the 49^th consecutive poll they have been ranked. This is the 11^th time the Roadrunners have been ranked number 1 in the country. The last came on September 17, 2025.
 
POLL BREAKDOWN
Dalton State preserved its unbeaten record last week, grinding out a 1-1 draw at Faulkner (Ala.) before bouncing back in emphatic fashion with a 6-1 home victory over Point (Ga.) on Sunday. The Roadrunners now sit at 6-0-2 overall, showcasing both resilience and attacking firepower as they navigate the heart of conference play.
 
Up Next: Dalton State returns to action at home Wednesday evening against UT Southern (Tenn.), followed by a road matchup on Saturday versus Blue Mountain Christian (Miss.). Both contests present opportunities for the Roadrunners to extend their unbeaten streak and solidify their top ranking.
 
The latest NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches' Poll saw significant movement across the rankings. Keiser made the biggest leap within the Top 10, climbing from No. 9 to No. 6, while Oklahoma Wesleyan surged two spots to No. 3 and Bethel (Ind.) moved up from No. 7 to No. 5. On the flip side, MidAmerica Nazarene slipped from No. 2 to No. 4, and Cumberlands (Ky.) dropped four spots to No. 8. Bellevue experienced the steepest fall, sliding out of the Top 10 from No. 6 to No. 11. The poll also welcomed several new or returning programs, including WVU Tech, which debuted at No. 22 after a statement win over then-No. 2 Cumberlands. UNOH entered at No. 23, while Bethel (Tenn.), John Brown (Ark.), and Midland (Neb.) rounded out the list, tying for the final spots at No. 24 and No. 25.
 
There are 10 unbeaten teams in the ranked set (including the tie at 25):
Dalton State, Lindsey Wilson, Oklahoma Wesleyan, Keiser, LSU Shreveport, Grand View, Life, Madonna, WVU Tech, Bethel (Tenn.).
 
POLL METHODOLOGY

• The national poll is for publicity purposes only and does not influence the selection process for national championship consideration.
• A panel of head coaches representing each conference and the Continental Athletic Conference (Independents) votes in the poll.
• The Top 25 teams are selected using a points-based system:
  • 30 points for a 1st-place vote, 29 for 2nd, 28 for 3rd, and so on.
• The highest and lowest rankings received by each team are discarded before final tallying.
• Teams receiving only one point are not listed as "receiving votes."
• For the Preseason Poll, there is no "previous ranking" column since it is the initial poll and differs from the prior rating system. 

 

RANK	LAST POLL	INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES]	RECORD	POINTS
1	1	Dalton State (Ga.) [10]	6-0-2	498
2	3	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) [8]	8-0-1	488
3	5	Oklahoma Wesleyan (Okla.)	5-0-3	462
4	2	MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)	6-1-3	448
5	7	Bethel (Ind.)	7-1-2	432
6	9	Keiser (Fla.)	6-0-1	403
7	8	William Penn (Iowa)	6-1-3	391
8	4	Cumberlands (Ky.)	5-3-2	388
9	10	William Carey (Miss.)	7-2-1	372
10	11	Indiana Wesleyan (Ind.)	6-2-2	344
11	6	Bellevue (Neb.)	7-4-1	276
12	14	LSU Shreveport (La.)	4-0-5	275
13	16	Grand View (Iowa)	8-0-3	271
14	13	Cumberland (Tenn.)	8-1-2	249
15	17	Georgia Gwinnett (Ga.)	5-1-2	240
16	19	Life (Ga.)	6-0-2	226
17	12	Indiana Tech (Ind.)	6-3-1	191
18	20	Madonna (Mich.)	9-0-1	187
19	15	Marian (Ind.)	6-2-3	179
20	18	Xavier (La.)	4-1-1	178
21	22	Grace (Ind.)	8-1-2	154
22	NR	WVU Tech (W.V.)	6-0-2	60
23	RV	Northwestern Ohio (Ohio)	7-2-1	59
24	RV	Bethel (Tenn.)	5-0-1	55
25	RV	John Brown (Ark.)	6-2-1	52
25	RV	Midland (Neb.)	7-1-2	52

 
Receiving Votes: Rio Grande (Ohio) 42, Baker (Kan.) 41, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 39, Southern Oregon 38, St. Thomas (Fla.) 35, Clarke (Iowa) 30, Missouri Valley (Mo.) 28, Central Methodist (Mo.) 26, Florida National 21, Spring Arbor (Mich.) 20, Stanton (Calif.) 18, Mount Mercy (Iowa) 14, Milligan (Tenn.) 14, Oklahoma City 12, Union Commonwealth (Ky.) 10, Ottawa (Kan.) 9, Southwestern Christian (Okla.) 7, Faulkner (Ala.) 5, LSU Alexandria (La.) 2, Carroll (Mont.) 2. 
 
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FIND NEWS AND FOLLOW THE BIRDS: News and updates from Dalton State's men's soccer team are posted on dsroadrunners.com and on X (@DStateSoccer), Facebook (@DStateSoccer) and Instagram (daltonstatesoccer). Be sure to follow to keep pace with the Birds!  
 
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