Statesmen Open 2025 at No. 2 in NAIA
Oskaloosa–The defending national runner-up William Penn men’s soccer team sits in that same position as the NAIA released its preseason top-25 poll Wednesday.
WPU, which was 20-3-3 a year ago, starts the 2025 campaign at No. 2 with 462 points. It matches the highest rating ever for the navy and gold, while it is also the 19th poll in a row in which they are ranked in the top 25.
The Statesmen are one of six Heart of America Athletic Conference programs in the postseason rating. MidAmerica Nazarene (No. 8), Missouri Valley (No. 9), Baker (No. 15), and Clarke (No. 23) are also in the top 25, while Heart newcomer William Woods is in the receiving votes section at an unofficial rating of No. 35.
Defending national champion Dalton State (Ga.) is first with 472 points and all 15 first-place votes, while William Carey (Miss.), Cumberlands (Ky.), and Oklahoma Wesleyan round out the nation’s top five.
NAIA Men’s Soccer Preseason Rating — August 20, 2025
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. Dalton State (Ga.) (15)
2. William Penn
3. William Carey (Miss.)
4. Cumberlands (Ky.)
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan
6. Mobile (Ala.)
7. Bellevue (Neb.)
8. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)
9. Missouri Valley
10. Indiana Wesleyan
11. Bethel (Ind.)
12. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
13. LSU Shreveport (La.)
14. Spring Arbor (Mich.)
15. Baker (Kan.)
16. Oklahoma City
17. Mid-America Christian (Okla.)
18. Keiser (Fla.)
19. Indiana Tech
20. Milligan (Tenn.)
21. Marian (Ind.)
22. Rio Grande (Ohio)
23. Clarke
24. Governors State (Ill.)
25. Williams Baptist (Ark.)
Receiving votes: Georgia Gwinnett 59, St. Thomas (Fla.) 42, Cumberland (Tenn.) 27, Louisiana Christian 23, Huntington University (Ind.) 22, Carroll (Mont.) 13, Bethel (Tenn.) 11, Westcliff (Calif.) 10, Life (Ga.) 8, William Woods (Mo.) 4, Madonna (Mich.) 3, Union Commonwealth (Ky.) 2.
