RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference (GAC) has announced its 2026 Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll on Wednesday morning, and No. 6 Rogers State was picked to finish second in the league.
 
The Hillcats accumulated 33 points and three first-place votes, trailing No. 3 Fort Hays State by just one point. Elsewhere in the poll, Newman and Southern Nazarene tied for third with 23 points, followed by Northeastern State (15 points), Ouachita Baptist (13 points) and Harding (six points).
 
Rogers State (14-4-5, 8-2-2 GAC/MIAA) finished second in both the GAC/MIAA regular season and tournament standings. Under head coach Jake Simpson in his first season, the Hillcats made history by hosting the first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament at Soldier Field, winning two games to advance to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals for the first time in program history.
 
Returning players for the Red and Navy this season include All-Americans Alex Laing (GAC/MIAA Defensive Player of the Year) and Louis Bassett (All-GAC/MIAA First Team), along with all-conference selections Brandon O'Rourke, Jaxon Kendall, Oliver Hemlin, Hayden Parker, Ashton Medina, and Tom Dixon.
 
Conference play will commence on the road with a highly anticipated matchup against Fort Hays State on Sept. 17, before league play opens at home against rival Northeastern State on Sept. 26.
 
The regular-season champion will host the GAC/MIAA conference tournament Nov. 5-7, with the top four teams qualifying.