Women's Basketball Ranked #12 in Preseason NAIA Poll
(Kansas City, MO) - The wait is over, the 2025–26 NAIA women's basketball season tips off on Thursday, Oct. 23. Let's take a look at the Preseason Coaches' Top 25 Poll in preparation.
After spending the entire 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons at No. 1, the two-time defending champions Dordt (Iowa) Defenders will open the new season at No. 1 for the 17th consecutive poll. Hastings College came in at #12 after finishing last season ranked #18.
The preseason poll generated significant movement from the 2024-25 final regular season poll, following the final finishes in each team's respective postseason runs and the addition of new players to rosters for the upcoming season. The only teams to remain at the same place were Dordt (Iowa) and Campbellsville (Ky.), while Carroll (Mont.), Indiana Tech, St. Francis (Ill.), Rocky Mountain (Mont.), Shawnee State (Ohio) and Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) all moved into the Top 25.
|
TREND |
RANK |
24-25 |
INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] | 2024-25 RECORD | POINTS |
| ● | 1 | 1 | Dordt (Iowa) [20] | 35-2 | 600 |
| ▲ | 2 | 16 | Bethel (Tenn.) | 27-8 | 560 |
| ● | 3 | 3 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 28-4 | 543 |
| ▲ | 4 | 8 | Dakota State (S.D.) | 25-5 | 474 |
| ▲ | 5 | 12 | Marian (Ind.) | 27-8 | 471 |
| ▲ | 6 | 7 | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | 28-6 | 444 |
| ▲ | 7 | 25 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 26-7 | 411 |
| ▲ | 8 | 9 | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 25-8 | 410 |
| ▲ | 9 | 13 | Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) | 25-7 | 382 |
| ▼ | 10 | 4 | Indiana Wesleyan | 34-3 | 369 |
| ▲ | 11 | 17 | Langston (Okla.) | 31-3 | 359 |
| ▲ | 12 | 18 | Hastings (Neb.) | 25-8 | 332 |
| ▼ | 13 | 10 | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | 28-4 | 308 |
| ▲ | 14 | 23 | Oregon Tech | 23-8 | 281 |
| ▼ | 15 | 2 | Southern Oregon | 34-1 | 279 |
| ▲ | 16 | RV | Carroll (Mont.) | 19-12 | 259 |
| ▲ | 17 | RV | Indiana Tech | 27-6 | 248 |
| ▼ | 18 | 14 | Arizona Christian | 25-6 | 211 |
| ▲ | 19 | RV | St. Francis (Ill.) | 25-8 | 209 |
| ▼ | 20 | 5 | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 30-6 | 191 |
| ▲ | 21 | RV | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | 20-11 | 172 |
| ▲ | 22 | 25 | LSU Shreveport (La.) | 27-4 | 168 |
| ▲ | 23 | RV | Shawnee State (Ohio) | 28-5 | 146 |
| ▲ | 24 | NR | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 16-14 | 144 |
| ▼ | 25 | 5 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 26-6 | 140 |
Dropped from Top 25: Georgetown (Ky.), William Carey (Miss.), Rio Grande (Ohio), Wayland Baptist (Texas), Providence (Mont.), Xavier (La.), Mid-America Christian (Okla.)
Receiving Votes: Governors State (Ill.) 98, Loyola (La.) 94, Rio Grande (Ohio) 81, Georgetown (Ky.) 69, Providence (Mont.) 69, Florida Memorial 60, Pikeville (Ky.) 49, Columbia (Mo.) 34, Xavier (La.) 31, Southeastern (Fla.) 25, Montana Tech 19, Grand View (Iowa) 18, Evangel (Mo.) 17, William Carey (Miss.) 15, Huntington (Ind.) 15, College of Idaho 14, Wayland Baptist (Texas) 11, LSU Alexandria (La.) 10, Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 8, Morningside (Iowa) 6, Milligan (Tenn.) 4, Friends (Kan.) 4, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 3, Williams Baptist (Ark.) 2, Hope International (Calif.) 2
