CANTON, Ga. - The Trinity Tigers are the 2026 favorite for the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Men’s Soccer crown.
Trinity captured an impressive eight first place votes for 72 points while Southwestern captured one first place nod for 55 points in a tight race for second. Berry finished just behind the Pirates with 54 points while Sewanee and Oglethorpe finished out the top five with 51 and 46 points, respectively.
Voting was conducted among the SAA’s nine head coaches.
2026 MEN’S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL RESULTS
1. Trinity - 72 (8)
2. Southwestern - 55 (1)
3. Berry - 54
4. Sewanee - 51
5. Oglethorpe - 46
6. Rhodes - 39
7. Centre - 32
8. Maryville - 31
9. Millsaps - 16
Trinity was picked to take home the title in 2025 but was upset by the Berry Vikings in the second round of the SAA Tournament. The Tigers still earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they gained momentum and rolled through some of the top teams in the country on their way to the national championship game. Trinity ultimately finished as national runner-up following a tough overtime defeat to Tufts.
Southwestern advanced to the SAA Championship game last season, featuring four First Team All-Conference selections and the SAA Defender of the Year. The Pirates look to make another run at the title under the leadership of SAA Coaching Staff of the Year recipient Dustin Norman.
Berry entered last season’s SAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed and went on a memorable run, upsetting the conference field to capture its fourth overall SAA championship and first since the Spring 2021 championship, representing the 2020 season.
The 2026 SAA Men’s Soccer Championship is slated for November 5-8 in Atlanta, Georgia, hosted by Oglethorpe University.
For more information on all things SAA, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the SAA's home on the internet at
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