Power, Polish, and Preseason - The NAIA’s First Coaches Poll

The NAIA released its first-ever official preseason coaches poll this week, and while it may look like a simple Top 10 list at first glance, it quietly reveals something bigger: where power is consolidating in small-college football.

For the first time, head coaches across four conferences submitted Top 15 ballots. Teams were awarded points on a sliding scale — 15 for first place down to 1 for 15th — with the highest and lowest rankings removed before totals were finalized. The result is less about hype and more about professional respect. This isn’t fan energy. It’s peer evaluation.

And the peers were clear.

The Top of the Table

1. Ottawa (KS) — 98 points (7 first-place votes)

2. Keiser (FL) — 91 points (1 first-place vote)

3. Warner (FL) — 83 points

4. Baker (KS) — 76 points

5. St. Thomas (FL) — 70 points

Ottawa (Kansas) opens the season at No. 1 with 98 points and seven of the eight first-place votes. Keiser (Florida) sits just behind at No. 2 with 91 points and the remaining first-place vote. Warner (Florida), Baker (Kansas), and St. Thomas (Florida) round out the Top 5.

On the surface, it’s a ranking. Underneath, it’s geography and infrastructure telling a story.

Kansas vs. Florida: The Real Narrative

What stands out immediately isn’t just who is No. 1 — it’s where these teams are coming from.

The Sun Conference, anchored heavily in Florida, placed five programs in the Top 10: Keiser (2), Warner (3), St. Thomas (5), Webber International (7), and Life (10).

The KCAC, based in Kansas, placed four: Ottawa (1), Baker (4), and Kansas Wesleyan (6), with additional depth in the receiving votes category.

Nine of the Top 10 teams come from just two conferences. When conferences dominate like this, it signals something deeper — recruiting pipelines that are working, coaching continuity, administrative investment, and institutional alignment. Florida programs are building with speed and scale. Kansas programs are building with system and stability. And when those two approaches sit at the top of a national poll, it signals that the NAIA title conversation may run through those regions all season.

The Rest of the Top 10

Kansas Wesleyan holds steady at No. 6 with 69 points, reinforcing the KCAC’s presence in the upper tier. Webber International at No. 7 and Thomas (Georgia) at No. 8 continue the Sun Conference footprint across the South. Milligan (Tennessee), competing as an Independent, lands at No. 9, while Life (Georgia) closes the Top 10 at No. 10.

Milligan’s position is especially notable. Without conference affiliation power, the program still earned national respect. That suggests disciplined consistency — and perhaps a team that could disrupt expectations once the season begins.

The Depth Tier: Watching the Watchers

The receiving votes list adds another layer of intrigue.

William Woods, Midland, Graceland, Campbellsville, Siena Heights, Arizona Christian, Florida Memorial, La Sierra, and Southwestern all earned points.

This tier often tells you more about midseason volatility than the Top 5 does. These are the teams capable of reshaping the conversation with one early-season statement win.

And again, the KCAC’s depth shows. Influence isn’t just about who is ranked — it’s about how many programs are circling the Top 10.

Why This Matters

Preseason polls don’t decide championships. But they shape narratives.

They influence recruiting conversations. They affect early-season perception. They set expectations that programs either rise to meet — or struggle to escape.

Ottawa now carries the weight of near-unanimous confidence. Keiser carries the motivation of being close enough to challenge. The Sun Conference enters the season looking loaded. The KCAC looks structured and deep.

And the NAIA, by formalizing this coaches poll for the first time, has added something subtle but important: public accountability among peers.