No surprise as to who claims the top spot in the Rawlings NCSA DI Preseason Top 20.  The defending 2025 champions, the University of Michigan Wolverines are atop the rankings earning 17 of the 18 1st place votes.  Not far behind is the 2024 National Champions, Air Force earning a 1st place vote and 330 points.  The 2025 National Runner-Up, UC Davis comes in at #3, while Illinois and Florida State round out the Top 5.

We all know, it’s not where you start, but where you finish.  We now know who starts on top, but who will finish on top?

Where does your team rank in the Preseason Top 20?  Click the link above to find out!

The South Atlantic Region has been historically dominated by Georgia and Clemson in the North and Florida and Florida State in the South.  Last year, besides Florida State, the South Atlantic Regional saw some new faces.  The University of Tennessee, University of South Carolina and University of Central Florida, not only made appearances at Regionals, but opened some eyes.  Especially the University of South Carolina who went on to win the South Atlantic Regional and have an impressive showing at Nationals.

Will South Carolina pickup where they left off?  What about Tennessee and UCF?  Another team to look out for in the South is Florida Atlantic.  They were a tie-breaker away from qualifying for Regionals and will have a lot of determination to get to Regionals in 2026.  Will Florida State continue to dominate or will a new batch of teams emerge?  Georgia and Clemson are always two team to look out for in the North, so the South Atlantic could be wide-open this year.

Check the South Atlantic Region Team Previews to find out who will be crowned South Atlantic Champion in 2026!

The Pacific Region produced the National Runner-Up last year, UC-Davis.  The Aggies flew under the radar most of the year last season even with an unblemished record.  After winning the Pacific Regional Tournament, not many people had them picked to go far at Nationals, but the continued to prove people wrong.  They showed tremendous heart and were extremely close to forcing a winner-take-all National Championship game, but ultimately fell short, losing to Michigan 8-7.  The Aggies look motivated to get back to Columbus and compete for a National Championship, but will someone else play spoiler?

The Pacific Region has 3 very competitive conferences and produces some talented teams in the postseason.  Each conference is up for grabs.  Who’s going to take the Pacific in 2026?  You be the judge!  Check out the Pacific Region Team Previews.

The North Atlantic Region produced St. Bonaventure University and The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) as National Qualifiers last year.  It was St. Bonaventure’s first-ever qualification to Nationals, and TCNJ’s first trip back to Columbus since 2011.  Both programs had great experiences but certainly disappointing finishes.   Will those finishes fuel these programs to right-the-ship and qualify once again or will another program emerge?

After realignment, the North Atlantic got much more competitive for the upcoming 2025-2026 season.  2024 World Series qualifiers, Maryland and the U.S. Naval Academy join the North Atlantic Region after leaving the Mid-Atlantic.  The Terrapins and Midshipmen will certainly be two teams to look out for in 25/26.

Who will be the 4 teams that qualify for the North Atlantic Region and ultimately, who will be crowned North Atlantic Champion?  Check out the North Atlantic Region Team Previews to find out.

The New England Region has rich history with a lot of talented teams, but has never produced a NCSA National Champion.  Sacred Heart has dominated the region the last few years, but has had disappointing finishes in Columbus during their time at Nationals.  Will 2026 be the year the Pioneers break through and challenge for a National Championship?  Vermont, Cornell and UConn are also strong programs that have qualified for the postseason in recent years.  They all have a chance to challenge Sacred Heart and dethrone their dominance and become New England Champs.  The New England Region is wide open and it will be exciting to see who is represented in Columbus in 2026.

Check out the New England Region Team Previews to find out who is going to Columbus in May.

The 2025-2026 NCSA Division I Rulebook has been released.  All changes to this years rules are highlighted in Yellow.  You can see the results of the voting HERE.  Please remember that the rulebook along with many other important documents can be downloaded on the DOCUMENTS page.

The Mid-Atlantic is no stranger to National Championships.  In fact, Mid-Atlantic Member, Virginia Tech won B2B National Championships in 2022 and 2023. Last year, the Mid-Atlantic featured arguably the toughest conference in the country with Virginia Tech, James Madison, Navy, Maryland, Virginia and Longwood.  Both VT and James Madison were ousted by the Mid-Atlantic South Teams at Regionals but they’ll be looking to make a comeback to Nationals in 2026.  It may not be an easy road for JMU and VT however.  Virginia is always on the cusp of a postseason berth.  Will this be the year, they surprise everyone and make a Regional appearance?

The Mid-Atlantic South is no slouch either.  Rivals NC State and UNC have been dominating the conference the last few years, but Coastal Carolina is primed to make a push and be a postseason participant in 2026.  It will be very interesting to say the least.

Who will be the 2 teams making it to Nationals from the Mid-Atlantic in 2026?  Check out the Mid-Atlantic Region Team Previews to find out.

The Mid-America Region will be exciting to watch in 2025-2026.  The U.S. Air Force Academy has dominated the Region the last few years and even took home a National Championship in 2024.  With the departure of their longtime head Coach and a few key players, will Air Force continue it’s dominance or will it be another teams opportunity to win the Region?  Could Iowa be that team?  After a few straight appreances at the World Series, they missed out in 2025 but seem primed and hungry to make a push to get back to Columbus in 2026.  With Arkansas State no longer apart of the Region after realignment, you’ll see a newcomer to Regionals and maybe surprise some teams.

All in all, don’t take your eyes off of the Mid-America Region this year.  Who will be representing the Region at Nationals in 2026?  You be the judge.  Check out the Mid-America Team Previews.

The Great Lakes is home to the reigning National Champions, the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Wolverines look primed to repeat brining back the majority of their team including 2025 NCSA DI WS MVP, Ava Chatlosh and 1st Team All-American Pitcher, Colleen Campbell.  But the Great Lakes is filled with talented teams and it won’t be an easy road to B2B National Championships.  UW-Whitewater is a two-time NCSA DII National Champion and they’ll be a team looking to make the NCSA DI Postseason and challenging for a spot at Nationals.  Look out for the Great Lakes Region in 2025-2026, they may be the most competitive Region in the country.

The Great American Region is also filled with top-end talent.  The University of Illinois is a mainstay at the World Series.  A program that has been to every World Series since the start of the NCSA.  That said, Arkansas State joins their conference.  Arkansas State is no stranger to the World Series, qualifying 9 times and winning the National Championship in 2017.  A lot of good teams in the Great American including Ohio University who made their first trip to Nationals last year.  They’ll be hungry to get back in 2026.

Who will be coming out of the Great Lakes and Great American Region in 2026?  Take a look at the Great American Team Previews and the Great Lakes Team Previews to find out.

SUNY New Paltz has officially joined the NCSA for the 2025-2026 season! The NCSA is excited to welcome the Hawks who join Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Wake Forest, Lehigh, Virginia Commonwealth, South Florida and West Chester as the new teams for ’25-’26 season thus far.

If your team is interested in joining the NCSA for this upcoming season, contact Justyn Martinko today!