August 26, 2025
The first regular season polls are out, and the opening weeks of NCAA soccer have already delivered some surprising shifts in both the men's and women's rankings.
Men's Division I: Pittsburgh Surges, SMU and Denver Tumble
Biggest Climbers
Pittsburgh leads the charge with the most dramatic rise, vaulting from #7 in the preseason to #3 after their perfect start, including an impressive 3-2 victory over Michigan State. The Panthers' early statement has them breathing down the necks of perennial powers Vermont and Marshall.
Stanford has also made an impressive jump from #13 to #4 with a 2-0 record, including a 2-0 exhibition win over San Francisco, suggesting the Cardinal may have been undervalued in preseason projections.
Several unranked teams have burst onto the scene:
- Virginia Tech (#12) - The Hokies stunned #3 Ohio State 1-0 in their season opener, making a statement arrival to the rankings
- High Point (#13) - Another 2-0 surprise package entering the rankings
- Oregon State (#14) - The Beavers' perfect start has them in the top 15
- Gardner-Webb (#20) - The defending Big South Champions went from unranked to top 20 with a 2-0 record
Notable Falls
The early season has been harsh to several preseason favorites:
- SMU plummeted from #5 to receiving just 4 votes
- Denver dropped from #4 to #21 after a 1-1 start
- Ohio State fell completely out of the top 25, from #3 to receiving just 7 votes
- UMass tumbled from #8 to receiving votes status
Women's Division I: Tennessee Makes Statement, UCLA Struggles
Rising Stars
Tennessee has made the most impressive leap, rocketing from unranked in the preseason to #2 with a perfect 4-0 start. The Lady Vols have announced themselves as serious title contenders with statement victories, including a historic 2-0 win over #1 North Carolina (the defending national champions) and a 1-0 shutout of #4 UCLA. They've outscored opponents 15-0 through four games.
TCU continues their upward trajectory, climbing from #7 to tied for #4 with a 3-0 record.
Georgetown enters the rankings at #16 after not receiving any preseason votes, while Mississippi State jumps from receiving votes to #17.
Falling From Grace
UCLA has experienced the most dramatic fall, dropping from #4 to #23 after a disappointing 1-2 start. The Bruins will need to regroup quickly to salvage their season.
Wake Forest slipped from #10 to #19 despite a respectable 3-1 record, suggesting the competition has been fiercer than expected.
Vanderbilt fell from #11 to #25, barely hanging onto their ranking after a 3-1 start.
Looking Ahead: It's Not How You Start, It's How You Finish
The early season shakeup reminds us that preseason polls are just educated guesses. Pittsburgh and Tennessee have emerged as the stories of the young season on the men's and women's sides respectively, while traditional powers like Ohio State (men's) and UCLA (women's) will need to prove they belong back in the conversation.
Redemption is Still Possible
For teams that have stumbled early, all is not lost. History shows that early-season struggles don't define championships:
- Ohio State (men's) may have fallen from #3 to unranked, but with their talent and coaching, a strong conference run could see them back in the tournament
- UCLA (women's) at 1-2 needs to quickly regroup, but their pedigree suggests they can turn things around
- SMU and Denver (men's) have the quality to bounce back from their early setbacks
- Wake Forest (women's) at 3-1 is still winning games and could climb back with statement victories
As any coach will tell you, it's not who starts strong but who finishes strong. September and October games will separate the contenders from the pretenders. Teams like Ohio State and UCLA have the experience and depth to make late-season runs, while early surprises like Gardner-Webb and High Point will need to prove they can maintain their momentum against tougher competition.
With most teams having played just 2-4 games, there's plenty of soccer left to determine who the real contenders are. The next few weeks will be crucial as conference play begins to ramp up and teams face stiffer competition.
Rankings reflect games through August 25, 2025