Washington University has been crowned the preseason No. 1 in the College Soccer News Top 25, earning 299 points and retaining the spot it held when it captured the national championship last season.
The latest poll underscores the Atlantic Coast Conference’s breadth, with six of its members placed among the 25 ranked teams, a tally that outpaces every other league.
ACC’s Deep Reach
North Carolina stands out as the state with the most representation, hosting five programs in the rankings, while Maryland follows in fourth place with 239 points.
Other notable positions include Stanford and Virginia, both inside the top ten, Princeton at tenth with 194 points, and Bryant University at eleventh with 160 points. UConn also received enough votes to appear among the teams receiving votes outside the top 25.
The Big Ten contributes two teams to the upper echelon, Washington and Maryland, highlighting the conference’s cross‑regional strength.
Compiled by 12 Division I coaches representing a variety of conferences, the poll reflects a broad consensus on the teams expected to contend for the title this fall.