Four Mid-South Teams Mentioned in NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll

8/20/2025 7:59:44 PM

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Two Mid-South Conference teams are ranked and two more are in the receiving votes list in the NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll, NAIA officials announced on Wednesday.

Cumberlands (Ky.) leads the Mid-South teams at No. 4, while Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) is No. 12 in the first poll of the season. Cumberland (Tenn.) and Bethel (Tenn.) are just outside the top 25 but are receiving voting points.

Cumberlands received 429 voting points from the national voters. The Patriots recorded a 15-3-3 mark in 2024 en route to reaching the NAIA National Semifinals. Cumberlands opens the season at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 21, as the Patriots travel to Grace (Ind.).

Lindsey Wilson garnered 287 voting points. The Blue Raiders posted a 10-6-3 record last season after reaching the NAIA National Tournament Round of 16. Lindsey Wilson opens 2025 at home on Friday, Aug. 22, against SCAD-Savannah (Ga.). Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT.

Cumberland and Bethel are two of 12 teams in the receiving votes list.

Cumberland picked up 27 voting points while Bethel received 11.

The Phoenix -- who went 12-6 last season -- has an opportunity for a statement win to open the season on Thursday as they play No. 6-ranked Mobile (Ala.) in Montgomery, Alabama.

Bethel -- coming off an 8-6-3 season in 2024 -- opens at home against Blue Mountain Christian (Miss.) on Saturday, Aug. 23.

Defending national champion Dalton State (Ga.) opens the season at No. 1 with 472 voting points and 15 first-place votes. William Penn (Iowa) is No. 2 in the poll with 462 voting points. No. 3 William Carey (Miss.) (447 voting points) and No. 5 Oklahoma Wesleyan (420) complete the top five.

The first regular-season poll is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, Sept. 3.

Poll Methodology

  • The national poll is for publicity purposes only and does not influence the selection process for national championship consideration.
  • A panel of head coaches representing each conference and the Continental Athletic Conference (Independents) votes in the poll.
  • The Top 25 teams are selected using a points-based system:

o   30 points for a 1st-place vote, 29 for 2nd, 28 for 3rd, and so on.

  • The highest and lowest rankings received by each team are discarded before final tallying.
  • Teams receiving only one point are not listed as “receiving votes.”
  • For the Preseason Poll, there is no "previous ranking" column since it is the initial poll and differs from the prior rating system.