William Penn Moves Up to No. 4 with One First-Place Vote, Leads All Heart Programs
Oskaloosa–The Statesmen men’s soccer team is now the highest-ranked team in the league as the NAIA released its first top-25 poll Wednesday.
WPU (1-0-1), which was No. 7 in the preseason poll, is now No. 4 in the country and owns one first-place vote nationally. It marks the 28th poll in a row in which the navy and gold are ranked in the top 25.
Seven Heart of America Athletic Conference programs are in the rating. MidAmerica Nazarene is No. 5 (two first-place votes), while previous top-ranked Grand View slipped to No. 17. The quartet of Baker, Benedictine, Central Methodist, and Clarke are all in the receiving votes section as well.
Oklahoma Wesleyan flew up eight spots to No. 1 in the NAIA with five first-place votes, while Georgia Gwinnett is second with three first-place nods. Indiana Tech is third (two first-place votes) to finish the top five. WVU Tech (three), William Carey (two), and Rio Grande (one) were also picked first on national ballots.
WPU remains in Oskaloosa Saturday, hosting Concordia (Neb.) in non-conference action at 6 p.m.
NAIA Men’s Soccer Rating No. 1–September 2, 2026
(First-Place Votes)
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan
2. Georgia Gwinnett
3. Indiana Tech
4. William Penn
5. MidAmerican Nazarene (Kan.)
6. Cumberland (Tenn.)
7. WVU Tech (W. Va.)
8. William Carey (Miss.)
9. Life (Ga.)
10. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
11. Keiser (Fla.)
12. Bethel (Ind.)
13. John Brown (Ark.)
14. Cumberlands (Ky.)
15. Rio Grande (Ohio)
16. Indiana Wesleyan
17. Grand View
18. LSU Shreveport (La.)
18. Ottawa (Kan.)
20. Warner Pacific (Ore.)
21. Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)
22. Faulkner (Ala.)
23. Grace (Ind.)
24. Union Commonwealth (Ky.)
25. Xavier (La.)
Receiving Votes: Baker (Kan.), Benedictine (Kan.), Bethel (Tenn.), Central Methodist (Mo.), Clarke, Dalton State (Ga.), Eastern Oregon, Harris-Stowe State (Mo.), Holy Cross (Ind.), LSU Alexandria (La.), Madonna (Mich.), Mid-America Christian (Okla.), Milligan (Tenn.), Rocky Mountain (Mont.), Southeastern (Fla.), Southern Oregon, Spring Arbor (Mich.), St. Thomas (Fla.), Stanton (Calif.), Tennessee Southern, Westcliff (Calif.).
