KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The first regular-season edition of the 2015 NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll has been announced Tuesday by the national office. Rio Grande (Ohio) boasts the No. 1 position this week behind a perfect 8-0-0 record. The second regular-season edition will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 29 followed by the first installment of the Modified Ratings Percentage Index (MRPI) on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 2000):
• Rio Grande (Ohio) claims its 47th all-time No. 1 ranking, which is the second-most behind the amount of 48 from Lindsey Wilson (Ky.).
• The RedStorm are back on top of the Top 25 for the first time since Nov. 16, 2014. Overall, this marks the sixth time out of the last eight polls they are ranked No. 1, dating back to last year.
• With eight victories on the year, Rio Grande is joined by No. 6 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) and (RV) Mount Mercy (Iowa) for the most wins in the NAIA ranks.
• Rio Grande and Lindsey Wilson meet up Saturday in a top-10 battle. That occurs after Rio Grande has a match Wednesday with Mount Vernon Nazarene and the Blue Raiders tangle with Pikeville (Ky.) Tuesday.
• Rio Grande (8-0-0) and Mount Mercy (8-2-0) are tied for the NAIA lead with an eight-match win streak.
• The following teams are in the newcomer status this week: No. 10 Baker (Kan.), No. 14 Corban (2013) (Ore.), No. 16 The Master’s (Calif.) (2011), No. 18 (tie) Florida Memorial, No. 18 (tie) Lyon (Ark.) (2012), No. 21 Rocky Mountain (Mont.), No. 22 Holy Cross (Ind.) and No. 23 Spring Arbor (Mich.).
• Today’s ranking is the first time in school history for Florida Memorial, Holy Cross and Spring Arbor.
• The Master’s snaps a long drought in the Top 25 as the Mustangs are ranked for the first time since Oct. 4, 2011 (No. 24).
• Sixteen of the 19 conferences, Association of Independent Institutions (AII) and unaffiliated group were represented this week. The Heart of America Athletic Conference fields the most representatives in the Top 25 with four total: No. 5 Missouri Valley, No. 10 Baker, No. 17 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) and No. 25 Grand View (Iowa). Six other leagues landed a pair of ranked programs.
• Lindsey Wilson boasts the most all-time No. 1 rankings with 48, followed by Rio Grande with 47, Bethel (Tenn.) with 11 and Hastings (Neb.) with 10. Overall, 21 different teams have claimed the No. 1 spot in the poll.
• Davenport (Mich.) is trying to become the first team to be ranked preseason No. 1 and win the national championship in the same season since Lindsey Wilson did it in 2001.
• Last season, there were 45 different teams to be ranked at least once – thirteen teams held a ranking in each of the 11 polls (which includes Preseason).
• Lindsey Wilson is the longest consecutively-ranked active school at 96-straight polls, dating back to the first installment of the 2007 Top 25 Poll (Sept. 5). Rio Grande is next in line with 89-consecutive rankings, followed by Missouri Valley at 56.
• Heading into 2015, Lindsey Wilson has held the top spot at least one time in each of the past seven seasons (since 2008). Rio Grande has garnered at least one top ranking in each of the past three seasons and four out of the last five overall.
• Since 2000, just two teams have spent the entire season ranked No. 1—Bethel in 2009 and Rio Grande in 2004.
Poll Methodology:
• The poll was voted upon by a panel of 19 head coaches representing each of the conferences, independents and unaffiliated groups.
• The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first place vote, 29 for second place and so on through the list.
• The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is a low rating) is removed and the team’s ranking will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the team appears on.
• Teams who receive only one point in the ballot will not be listed in the “Receiving Votes” category.
• The Modified Ratings Percentage Index (MRPI) is a separate ranking conducted on Sept. 29, Oct. 20 and Nov. 16. The MRPI—first adopted in 2010—will select the at-large national championship qualifying teams and seed the 32-team national championship opening round field.
• For the complete Top 25 calendar, click here.
2015 NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll (Sept. 22)
|
RANK |
LAST WEEK^ |
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) |
2015 RECORD |
TOTAL POINTS |
|
1 |
5 |
Rio Grande (Ohio) (19) |
8-0-0 |
529 |
|
2 |
1 |
Davenport (Mich.) |
5-1-1 |
494 |
|
3 |
20 |
Oklahoma Wesleyan |
6-0-0 |
489 |
|
4 |
11 |
Thomas (Ga.) (1) |
6-1-0 |
468 |
|
5 |
7 |
Missouri Valley |
5-1-0 |
450 |
|
6 |
9 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
8-1-0 |
434 |
|
7 |
6 |
Mobile (Ala.) |
6-2-0 |
430 |
|
8 |
8 |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
6-1-0 |
402 |
|
9 |
2 |
Northwestern Ohio |
4-2-0 |
399 |
|
10 |
RV |
Baker (Kan.) |
7-1-1 |
357 |
|
11 |
14 |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
5-1-2 |
328 |
|
12 |
3 |
Marymount (Calif.) |
4-2-1 |
325 |
|
13 |
23 |
Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) |
5-2-1 |
324 |
|
14 |
RV |
Corban (Ore.) |
7-0-0 |
291 |
|
15 |
13 |
Georgia Gwinnett |
5-2-2 |
287 |
|
16 |
RV |
The Master's (Calif.) |
6-1-1 |
261 |
|
17 |
12 |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
5-2-1 |
255 |
|
T18 |
RV |
Florida Memorial |
5-2-0 |
251 |
|
T18 |
NR |
Lyon (Ark.) |
7-0-0 |
251 |
|
20 |
15 |
Ashford (Iowa) |
5-3-1 |
241 |
|
21 |
NR |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
7-0-0 |
189 |
|
22 |
NR |
Holy Cross (Ind.) |
5-2-0 |
155 |
|
23 |
NR |
Spring Arbor (Mich.) |
5-3-0 |
112 |
|
24 |
18 |
Science & Arts (Okla.) |
5-2-0 |
92 |
|
25 |
4 |
Grand View (Iowa) |
3-3-1 |
90 |
Dropped from rankings: No. 10 Indiana Wesleyan, No. 16 St. Andrews (N.C.), No. 17 Hastings (Neb.), No. 19 Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.), No. 21 SCAD Savannah (Ga.), No. 22 Bethel (Tenn.), No. 24 McPherson (Kan.), No. 25 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.).
Others Receiving Votes: Union (Ky.) 72; Hastings (Neb.) 67; Westmont (Calif.) 58; Madonna (Mich.) 55; Park (Mo.) 36; Campbellsville (Ky.) 34; Indiana Wesleyan 26; Northwestern (Iowa) 23; Purdue Calumet (Ind.) 21; SCAD Savannah (Ga.) 19; Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 18; Mount Mercy (Iowa) 18; William Carey (Miss.) 17; Evergreen (Wash.) 13; Cumberland (Tenn.) 10; Southwest (N.M.) 7; Texas Wesleyan 6; Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 3; Jamestown (N.D.) 3; Truett-McConnell (Ga.) 3.
^ 2015 Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll announced on Aug. 18