The NAIA men’s soccer season has returned, with all 188 teams vying for the opportunity to compete on the national stage in Orange Beach, Ala., starting in late November.
Grand View (Iowa) leads the way in the preseason coaches’ poll, a reflection of the conclusion to last year’s season, where the Vikings took home the championship title. West Virginia Tech, a team from last season’s title game, was tabbed second, while MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), Cumberlands (Ky.), and Georgia Gwinnett round out the top five.
Stay tuned to NAIA men’s soccer action to see if last year’s frontrunners will continue their momentum, or if new programs will emerge as strong contenders.
The first regular-season Top 25 poll will be released on Wednesday, Sept. 2.
The Vikings took home the program’s first-ever Red Banner last season after marching through the final site bracket, and handed West Virginia Tech its first loss of the 2025 season in the championship match. Grand View returns Luis Helm to the roster in 2026, last year’s Outstanding Defensive Player from the championship tournament. The Vikings are back on the pitch Aug. 21 against Rocky Mountain College in the Lucky Horse Invitational, held in Des Moines, Iowa.
WVU Tech (W. Va.) will open the 2026 season at home on Aug. 22 against Cumberlands (Ky.). The Golden Bears enter the season as the team to beat in the River States Conference (RSC) after earning the top spot in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll. They pieced together a 2025 campaign that saw the Golden Bears go a perfect 9-0 in conference play before winning two additional matches to claim the RSC Tournament championship. Tech carried that momentum into the NAIA National Championship, winning four matches to advance to the title match in Orange Beach, Alabama.
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) will look to build on a four-year run of excellence in 2026. Since 2021, the Pioneers have compiled a 58-16-17 overall record, including a 29-9-9 mark in Heart of America action, while earning one conference tournament title, four straight Opening Round hosting opportunities, three trips to the Final Site, three national quarterfinal appearances, two national semifinal appearances, and one national championship. They will open the 2026 campaign on Aug. 18 against Ottawa (Kan.).
Cumberlands (Ky.) will open the 2026 season on Aug. 22 against WVU Tech (W. Va.), looking to build on another strong postseason run in 2025. The Patriots finished the season with a 9-6-6 overall record and a 5-1 mark in Mid-South Conference play, advancing to the NAIA Final Site for the second consecutive year and reaching the NAIA Semifinals
Georgia Gwinnett (Ga.) enters the 2026 campaign with a plethora of experience, returning 10 of 11 starters from a team that advanced to the NAIA national tournament quarterfinals last season. The Grizzlies went 13-3-4 in 2025 and captured the Continental Athletic Conference championship, led by sophomore Ousmane Fall, who earned third-team NAIA All-America honors after scoring a team-best 15 goals and recording 34 points. GGC begins its season Aug. 21 with a road match against SCAD Savannah (Ga.) in Hardeeville, S.C.
Indiana Tech returns four All-WHAC performers from a 2025 squad that went 18-5-1 overall and 9-2 in conference play. The Warriors captured their seventh consecutive WHAC Tournament title and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament, reaching the quarterfinals. Gui Moreira, Fabian Hauer, Joao Gustavo and Anderson Junior are all back for the Warriors. This season also marks Jack Rose’s first as head coach, after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach.
William Penn (Iowa) enters the 2026 season looking to build on a 12-6-4 campaign that included a 7-3-3 mark in Heart of America Athletic Conference play. The Statesmen are set for a five-game homestand to begin the season, with 11 total home matches scheduled at Drost Field. William Penn gets its season underway Aug. 21 against Morningside (Iowa).
Warner Pacific (Ore.) is coming off a historic 2025 campaign, finishing 16-4-4 overall and 7-3-2 in conference play before making its first-ever appearance at the NAIA Final Site. The breakthrough postseason run marked a Cinderella-like finish for the Knights, who will look to carry that momentum into 2026. Warner Pacific begins its season Aug. 20 against Embry-Riddle (Ariz.).
Oklahoma Wesleyan is coming off a standout 2025 campaign that saw the Eagles finish 19-1-3 overall and an unbeaten 12-0-1 in KCAC play. The Eagles captured the KCAC regular-season championship and swept through the conference tournament before defeating Westcliff (Calif.) in the NAIA Opening Round to advance to the final site. OKWU begins its 2026 campaign Aug. 26 against Avila (Mo.).
Bethel (Tenn.) enters the 2026 season with a strong returning core after finishing 13-2-2 overall and 4-1-1 in Mid-South Conference play last season. William Kusi, Serzhan Aitzhanov, Isaac Espinoza and Israel Rodriguez are expected to take on larger roles, while a veteran senior class featuring Rodriguez, Genaro Dumestre, Callum Bryce and transfer Tim Hanns will provide leadership. The Wildcats open the season Aug. 20 at Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) in Bourbonnais, Ill.
| RANK | INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] | 2025 RECORD |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand View (Iowa) [19] | 18-4-3 |
| 2 | WV Tech (W. Va.) | 20-1-2 |
| 3 | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | 16-3-5 |
| 4 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 9-6-6 |
| 5 | Georgia Gwinnett | 13-3-4 |
| 6 | Indiana Tech | 18-5-1 |
| 7 | William Penn (Iowa) | 12-6-4 |
| 8 | Warner Pacific (Ore.) | 16-4-4 |
| 9 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 19-1-3 |
| 10 | Bethel (Tenn.) | 13-2-2 |
| 11 | Life (Ga.) | 16-1-3 |
| 12 | LSU Shreveport (La.) | 14-2-6 |
| 13 | Bethel (Ind.) | 16-3-3 |
| 14 | Cumberland (Tenn.) | 14-4-3 |
| 15 | Keiser (Fla.) | 16-1-2 |
| 16 | Ottawa (Kan.) | 15-3-6 |
| 17 | John Brown (Ark.) | 12-5-5 |
| 18 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 12-4-1 |
| 19 | Indiana Wesleyan | 11-5-4 |
| 20 | William Carey (Miss.) | 14-4-3 |
| 21 | Baker (Kan.) | 14-5-3 |
| 22 | Grace (Ind.) | 16-7-3 |
| 23 | Madonna (Mich.) | 17-3-2 |
| 24 | Rio Grande (Ohio) | 11-5-4 |
| 25 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 19-3-1 |
Receiving Votes: Xavier (La.), Union Commonwealth (Ky.), Westcliff (Calif.), Faulkner (Ala.), Eastern Oregon, Carroll (Mont.), Milligan (Tenn.), Central Methodist (Mo.), Stanton (Calif.), Rocky Mountain (Mont.).
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