KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Dalton State (Ga.) held steady at the top spot in the first regular-season poll, securing its position after collecting 510 points. The biggest climbers in the early part of this season are MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) and Indiana Wesleyan. MidAmerica Nazarene surged from No. 8 to No. 3 after an unbeaten start, while Indiana Wesleyan made a strong push, moving from No. 10 to No. 6. Additionally, Cumberlands (Ky.) also gained momentum, climbing two spots to No. 2, while Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) also made a notable jump in the rankings from No. 12 to No. 7. 
 
By The Numbers
This is the 104^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 77 of the 104 polls. This is the 27^th top 5 poll appearance for the Roadrunners and the 47^th consecutive poll they have been ranked. This is the 9^th time the Roadrunners have been ranked number 1 in the country. The last came on August 20, 2025.
 
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. 

 

	1. Dalton State (Ga.), 510 points Record: 4-0 Previous Rank: 1 Notes: Dalton State (Ga.) has opened the season 4-0, tallying 13 goals along the way and ranking tied for fifth nationally with 11 assists. Sergej Misic has paced the attack, sitting tied for second in the nation in points with five goals and one assist. The Roadrunners have now extended their unbeaten streak to 28 straight matches.
	2. Cumberlands (Ky.), 474 points Record: 2-0-2 Previous Rank: 4 Notes: Cumberlands (Ky.) opened the year with a challenging slate, earning a 2-0 win over RV Governors State (Ill.), a 1-0 victory against No. 10 Bethel (Ind.), and a draw with No. 25 Westcliff (Calif.). That run gave the Patriots three high-profile matchups in their first four outings.
	3. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), 464 points Record: 3-0-1 Previous Rank: 8 Notes: MidAmerica Nazarene has started the season strong, earning a 5-0 win over then-No. 25 Williams Baptist (Ark.) and a 2-0 victory against Mid-America Christian (Okla.). Goalkeeper Alvaro Morera ranks tied for fourth in the nation with 21 saves and a .875 save percentage.
	4. Oklahoma Wesleyan, 453 points Record: 1-0-1 Previous Rank: 5 Notes: The Eagles have played two contests to open up the early parts of the season, snagging a 3-3 draw with John Brown (Ark.) and trumping Baker (Kan.) 3-2. They are led in the offensive attack by Julian Tovar, who has notched three goals on six shots.
	5. William Penn (Iowa), 422 points Record: 2-1-1 Previous Rank: 2 Notes: William Penn (Iowa) earned a 1-0 road win over then-No. 7 Bellevue (Neb.), now ranked No. 9.,  in their second contest of the season. This marked Head Coach Joseph Minton's first career victory after three years serving as an assistant.
	6. Indiana Wesleyan, 413 points Record: 2-0-1 Previous Rank: 10 Notes: Indiana Wesleyan climbed four spots in the poll after opening the 2026 season 2-0-1. They captured a 1-0 win over then-No. 24 Governors State (Ill.) and played to a 1-1 draw with No. 7 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) , while their other victory came against Wittenberg (Ohio).
	7. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), 389 points Record: 3-0-1 Previous Rank: 12 Notes: Lindsey Wilson climbed five spots in the first regular-season poll. Michael Rempel, a senior defender who anchored the Blue Raider defense, earned the Mid-South Conference Defensive Player of the Week award. He recorded an assist on the game-tying goal against No. 10 Indiana Wesleyan, limiting the Wildcats to just six shots. He added another assist in the Blue Raiders' 2-0 victory over Lawrence Tech (Mich.), holding the Blue Devils without a single shot.
	8. William Carey (Miss.), 382 points Record: 1-1-1 Previous Rank: 3 Notes: William Carey (Miss.) notched a 2-0 win over Jarvis Christian (Tex.) for their lone victory last week. They played to a 1-1 draw with LSU Shreveport (La.) and fell 2-1 to LSU Alexandria (La.). Daniel Mulero leads the team with five points, totaling one goal and three assists.
	9. Bellevue (Neb.), 381 points Record: 2-1-1 Previous Rank: 7 Notes: Bellevue (Neb.) fell in a tight 1-0 contest to No. 5 William Penn (Iowa) in last week's action. Sophomore Kaden Simpson was named the Continental Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week. Simpson recorded two saves against then-No. 2-ranked Statesmen, including a key second-half penalty stop.
	10. Bethel (Ind.), 341 points Record: 2-1-1 Previous Rank: 11 Notes: The Pilots secured a commanding 4-1 win over then-No. 22 Rio Grande in last week's action. The week prior, Bethel fell in a 1-0 final to No. 2 Cumberlands (Ky.) after allowing a goal in the 50th minute, but playing a solid first half of tight defense.

 

Rank	Last Time	Institution	Record	Final Points
11	?3	Spring Arbor (Mich.)	4-0	308
12	?7	Indiana Tech (Ind.)	2-0-1	298
13	?2	Baker (Kan.)	2-1-1	269
14	?5	Missouri Valley (Mo.)	1-1-1	251
15	?2	LSU Shreveport (La.)	0-0-3	224
16	?5	Marian (Ind.)	4-0	219
17	?1	Keiser (Fla.)	0-0	204
18	?RV	Cumberland (Tenn.)	3-0-1	186
19	?2	Mid-America Christian (Okla.)	2-1-2	155
20	?3	Clarke (Iowa)	2-0-2	143
20	?15	Mobile (Ala.)	1-2	143
22	?RV	Georgia Gwinnett (Ga.)	3-1	125
23	?1	Rio Grande (Ohio)	1-1-2	97
24	?8	Oklahoma City	2-2	85
25	?RV	Westcliff (Calif.)	2-1-1	76
Receiving Votes: Xavier (La.) 72, Milligan (Tenn.) 59, Madonna (Mich.) 53, Life (Ga.) 33, LSU Alexandria (La.) 31, Carroll (Mont.) 30, Northwestern Ohio (Ohio) 30, Columbia (Mo.) 29, Grace College (Ind.) 22, William Woods (Mo.) 22, Union Commonwealth (Ky.) 18, St. Thomas (Fla.) 14, Governors State (Ill.) 13, Southeastern (Fla.) 13, Southern Oregon (Ore.) 12, Williams Baptist (Ark.) 12, Bethel (Tenn.) 11, John Brown (Ark.) 7, Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 7, Trinity Christian (Ill.) 5, Benedictine (Kan.) 3, Grand View (Iowa) 2, Midland (Neb.) 2.

Key: Steady?| Improved ? | Dropped ?
 
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