KANSAS CITY, Mo. - After advancing to the 2025 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Final Site and finishing with a 15-3-6 overall record, Ottawa University was ranked no. 16 in the 2026 NAIA Men's Soccer Preseason Poll announced on Wednesday. The Braves will open the 2026 season ranked in the top 25 for the first time under head coach James Cottage, and will face teams either ranked or receiving votes in three of their first four regular season matches.

"I'm excited for the season to begin," said Cottage. "It's a new challenge for the staff, players and program as a whole to go into a season ranked, and can we survive that expectation. It's a good challenge, we'll see how it unfolds."

Defending national champion Grand View University was named the consensus no. 1, earning all 19 first-place votes. Ottawa's round of 16 opponent from 2025, West Virginia Tech was tabbed second, while MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), Cumberlands (Ky.), and Georgia Gwinnett round out the top five. The first regular season edition of the poll will be released on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

2026 NAIA Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll

1. Grand View (Iowa) [19] (18-4-3)
2. WV Tech (W. Va.) (20-1-2)
3. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) (16-3-5)
4. Cumberlands (Ky.) (9-6-6)
5. Georgia Gwinnett (13-3-4)
6. Indiana Tech (18-5-1)
7. William Penn (Iowa) (12-6-4)
8. Warner Pacific (Ore.) (16-4-4)
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan (19-1-3)
10. Bethel (Tenn.) (13-2-2)
11. Life (Ga.) (16-1-3)
12. LSU Shreveport (La.) (14-2-6)
13. Bethel (Ind.) (16-3-3)
14. Cumberland (Tenn.) (14-4-3)
15. Keiser (Fla.) (16-1-2)
16. Ottawa (Kan.) (15-3-6)
17. John Brown (Ark.) (12-5-5)
18. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (12-4-1)
19. Indiana Wesleyan (11-5-4)
20. William Carey (Miss.) (14-4-3)
21. Baker (Kan.) (14-5-3)
22. Grace (Ind.) (16-7-3)
23. Madonna (Mich.) (17-3-2)
24. Rio Grande (Ohio) (11-5-4)
25. Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) (19-3-1)
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.)