Men's Soccer | 8/5/2026 3:30:00 PM

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The United Soccer Coaches released its 2026 NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Preseason National Poll, with the Gannon men's soccer team checking in at No. 11 nationally to begin the 2026 season.

The Golden Knights enjoyed one of the most successful seasons in 2025, finishing with a 15-3-4 overall record while capturing the program's first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship and advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the eighth time in program history.

Gannon tied for second in NCAA Division II with 65 goals scored and concluded the season ranked No. 11 in the final United Soccer Coaches Top 25.

Head coach Billy Colton enters his eighth season as Gannon's head men's soccer coach in 2026 and his 12th year overall as a member of the coaching staff. He enters the season with a 97-24-14 career record and is looking to become just the third head coach in program history to reach the 100-win milestone.

Defending national champion Midwestern State, which finished the 2025 season with a 19-3-3 record, tops the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll. Rollins is ranked second after posting a 14-5-5 mark, followed by Fort Hays State (20-1-3), national runner-up Southern New Hampshire (16-3-2), and California State Stanislaus (17-2-1). Gannon squared off with Southern New Hampshire in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight last season.

Gannon opens the 2026 season on Thursday, Aug. 27, when they host Lake Erie inside McConnell Family Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.