(Oct. 28) --Three teams that reached the NCAA Division II national semifinals last season were voted into the top three spots in the NABC/Division II pre-season rankings for the 2025-26 season.  Defending champion Nova Southeastern was a near unanimous selection for the top spot as it heads into the season – which gets underway with five games on the slate – seeking its third national title in four years.  Washburn and DBU, who both fell in the semifinal round, were picked for the second and third spots, respectively. The fourth team in that group, national finalist Cal State Dominiguez Hills, is also in the pre-season rankings at No. 12.

Daemen, ranked first in the final poll of last season, comes into the pre-season at No. 4 and Mountain East Conference favorite Fairmont State is fifth.  The next five teams are headed by Alabama Huntsville – whose only two losses a year ago came to Nova Southeastern – followed by Point Loma, Missouri S&T, Southwest Minnesota State and Colorado School of Mines.

A total of 63 schools from all 23 NCAA Division II conferences received votes in the pre-season rankings, with 20 of those conferences being represented in the top 25.