Statesmen Open 2026 at No. 7 in NAIA
Oskaloosa–The William Penn men’s soccer team will start the 2026 season exactly how it ended 2025 as the NAIA released its preseason top-25 poll Wednesday.
WPU (12-6-4 last year) opens the fall at No. 7. It marks the 27th poll in a row in which the navy and gold are ranked in the top 25.
Five Heart of America Athletic Conference programs are in the rating with defending national champion Grand View at No. 1 with all 19 first-place votes. MidAmerica Nazarene is No. 3 and Baker is No. 21, while Central Methodist is in the receiving votes section.
Defending national runner-up West Virginia Tech is No. 2, while Cumberlands (Ky.) is No. 4 and Georgia Gwinnett is No. 5 to complete the top five.
WPU starts the season Friday by hosting Morningside in Oskaloosa in non-conference play at 5 p.m.
NAIA Men’s Soccer Preseason Rating — August 19, 2026
(First-place votes)
1. Grand View (19)
2. West Virginia Tech
3. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)
4. Cumberlands (Ky.)
5. Georgia Gwinnett
6. Indiana Tech
7. William Penn
8. Warner Pacific (Ore.)
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan
10. Bethel (Tenn.)
11. Life (Ga.)
12. LSU Shreveport (La.)
13. Bethel (Ind.)
14. Cumberland (Tenn.)
15. Keiser (Fla.)
16. Ottawa (Kan.)
17. John Brown (Ark.)
18. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
19. Indiana Wesleyan
20. William Carey (Miss.)
21. Baker (Kan.)
22. Grace (Ind.)
23. Madonna (Mich.)
24. Rio Grande (Ohio)
25. Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)
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.).
