KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Defending national champion Marian (Ind.) will begin the 2026-27 season right where it ended last March, holding the top spot in the Gared NAIA Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.
Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) and Dakota State (S.D.) both lost in the semifinals during the 2026 tournament and will open the season at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
Despite finishing its 2026 campaign as the runner-up, Dordt (Iowa) sits at No. 7. Bethel (Tenn.) and Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) round out the Top 5. Bethel closed out 2026 in the quarterfinals, while FHU finished in the Round of 16.
The season officially opens on October 22 for the opening weekend of 2026-27 NAIA Women’s Basketball. Let the Battle for the Red Banner begin!
Keep an eye on the schedule and scores across the NAIA this season HERE
| RANK | INSTITUITION [FIRST-PLACEVOTES] | 2025-26 RECORD |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marian (Ind.) [4] | 35-2 |
| 2 | Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) [5] | 29-7 |
| 3 | Dakota State (S.D.) | 30-6 |
| 4 | Bethel (Tenn.) [7] | 28-6 |
| 5 | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | 29-4 |
| 6 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 23-9 |
| 7 | Dordt (Iowa) [1] | 34-3 |
| 8 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 25-8 |
| 9 | Saint Francis (Ind.) [2] | 30-5 |
| 10 | Concordia (Neb.) | 23-8 |
| 11 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 25-9 |
| 12 | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | 21-10 |
| 13 | Rio Grande (Ohio) | 31-2 |
| 14 | Indiana Wesleyan | 19-14 |
| 15 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 24-8 |
| 16 | Montana Tech | 26-5 |
| 17 | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | 28-4 |
| 18 | Hastings (Neb.) | 24-9 |
| 19 | Loyola (La.) | 25-5 |
| 20 | College of the Ozarks (Mo.) | 25-11 |
| 21 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 28-4 |
| 22 | College of Idaho | 22-9 |
| 23 | Oregon Tech | 19-12 |
| 24 | Carroll (Mont.) | 19-11 |
| 25 | Spring Arbor (Mich.) | 24-8 |
Receiving Votes: Bethel (Ind.), Bethel (Kan.), Columbia (Mo.), Corban (Ore.), Cumberland (Tenn.), Cumberlands (Ky.), Eastern Oregon, Evangel (Mo.), Faulkner (Ala.), Friends (Kan.), Huntington (Ind.), Indiana Tech, IU South Bend (Ind.), Langston (Okla.), Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), LSU Shreveport (La.), Mid-America Christian (Okla.), Olivet Nazarene (Ill.), St. Francis (Ill.), William Carey (Miss.), Williams Baptist (Ark.)
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