KANSAS CITY, MO – After claiming a Red Banner in 2022 and most recently in 2025 on the heels of returner Jaynie Halterman, the Taylor (Ind.) Trojans will open the new year as the top pick in the Preseason Coaches’ Top 25 Rating.
The second and third place finishers at the 2025 championship hold their places in the preseason rating as Milligan (Tenn.) returns the number nine, 41, 46 and 102 finishers and adds five to its roster, while Dordt (Iowa) returns its top six athletes.
Rounding out the Top 5 are College of Idaho and Cornerstone (Mich.) who both moved up from their championship finishes by one and two spots, respectively, while both teams return a core group on their rosters.
The Preseason Top 25 is the first of six ratings on the schedule in 2026, including four regular-season ratings – Sept. 24, Oct. 8, Oct. 15, and Oct. 29 – and the final rating, Nov. 10, to determine at-large qualifiers for the 2026 NAIA National Championship, Nov. 20 in Vancouver, Washington.
| RANK | INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] | POINTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taylor (Ind.) [16] | 557 |
| 2 | Milligan (Tenn.) [1] | 533 |
| 3 | Dordt (Iowa) [2] | 532 |
| 4 | College of Idaho [1] | 504 |
| 5 | Cornerstone (Mich.) | 460 |
| 6 | Marian (Ind.) | 452 |
| 7 | The Master's (Calif.) | 449 |
| 8 | Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | 441 |
| 9 | Indiana Wesleyan | 403 |
| 10 | Southern Oregon | 383 |
| 11 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 363 |
| 12 | St. Francis (Ill.) | 356 |
| 13 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 324 |
| 14 | Oklahoma City | 317 |
| 15 | Grace (Ind.) | 302 |
| 16 | Saint Mary (Kan.) | 286 |
| 17 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 278 |
| 18 | Kansas Wesleyan | 272 |
| 19 | Carroll (Mont.) | 247 |
| 20 | Eastern Oregon | 224 |
| 21 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 174 |
| 22 | Aquinas (Mich.) | 172 |
| 23 | Montreat (N.C.) | 167 |
| 24 | Rio Grande (Ohio) | 166 |
| 25 | SCAD (Ga.) | 85 |
Receiving Votes: Mount Mercy (Iowa), Governors State (Ill.), Montana Tech, Missouri Baptist, IU East (Ind.), Saint Francis (Ind.), Morningside (Iowa), Our Lady of the Lake (Texas), Trinity Western (B.C.), William Carey (Miss.), Arizona Christian, Evangel (Mo.), St. Ambrose (Iowa)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Avista NAIA World Series will remain an LC Valley tradition, thanks to a new contract agreement between the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and Lewis-Clark State College. The seven-year deal, with a potential five-year extension, will keep the Series at Harris Field through at least 2033. The contract, which […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The 2026 NAIA Men’s Cross-Country season is heading to the midway point as the top teams continue a strong start to the year, while there have been many outstanding individual performances that have highlighted the opening month of the season. The latest Men’s Cross-Country Ratings were released last week, with little […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The halfway mark of the 2026 NAIA Women’s Cross Country schedule is drawing near, as we have seen some shuffling at the top of the latest ratings and a few outstanding individual performances. Let’s take a look at the new Top 5 of the ratings. Milligan (Tenn.) The Buffs ascended to […]
NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr joins Alan and Austin to discuss the potential move to five seasons of competition. They explore why the NAIA is considering this change, the options under review, what it could mean for student-athletes and institutions, and how member feedback will help shape the path forward. Austin Bennett (00:18)Welcome to […]