BECKLEY, W.Va. - WVU Tech men's soccer will begin the 2026 season as the No. 2 team in the nation following the release of the NAIA Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll.

The Golden Bears earned the No. 2 ranking after a historic 2025 campaign that saw Tech finish 20-1-2 and advance to the NAIA national championship match.

Defending national champion Grand View (Iowa) earned the preseason No. 1 ranking with 19 first-place votes after finishing 18-4-3 last season. WVU Tech follows at No. 2, while MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), Cumberlands (Ky.) and Georgia Gwinnett round out the top five.

The preseason recognition puts the Golden Bears among the national contenders once again as 188 NAIA men's soccer programs begin their pursuit of a spot at the national championship final site in Orange Beach, Alabama.

WVU Tech is also one of two River States Conference programs included in the preseason Top 25. Rio Grande (Ohio) enters the season ranked No. 24.

The Golden Bears are scheduled to open the 2026 season Saturday, Aug. 22 against No. 4 Cumberlands at the YMCA Paul Cline Memorial Sports Complex in Beckley.

The first NAIA regular-season Top 25 poll is scheduled to be released Sept. 2.

NAIA men's soccer preseason Top 25

1. Grand View (Iowa) [19]
2. WVU Tech
3. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)
4. Cumberlands (Ky.)
5. Georgia Gwinnett
6. Indiana Tech
7. William Penn (Iowa)
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.) and Rocky Mountain (Mont.).