KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Southwestern College will begin the 2026 football season ranked among the nation's top programs after earning the No. 22 spot in the STADIONIC-NAIA Football Preseason Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

The NAIA announced the preseason rankings Monday, with Southwestern coming off an 8-3 campaign in 2025. The Moundbuilders are one of four Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference programs ranked inside the preseason Top 25.

Friends leads the KCAC contingent at No. 9, followed by Evangel at No. 19 and McPherson at No. 21. Southwestern checks in immediately behind McPherson at No. 22, while Kansas Wesleyan also received votes.

Grand View (Iowa), the two-time defending national champion, claimed the No. 1 ranking and received all 13 first-place votes. Keiser (Fla.) is ranked second, Benedictine (Kan.) third, College of Idaho fourth and Montana Tech fifth.

The preseason poll is the first of seven NAIA coaches polls scheduled for the 2026 season. The next edition of the national rankings is scheduled to be released Sept. 14.

The Moundbuilders kick off the 2026 season on Saturday August 29th, as SC travels to North Newton to take on the Threshers of Bethel College. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Thresher Stadium.