SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — In the preseason edition of the NAIA Football Top 25 poll, Evangel Football currently sits 19th in the nation, matching their ranking at the end of the 2025 season.

Evangel went 9-3 last season with all losses coming to top 25 competitors.

In the KCAC, Friends is tied for 9th, while McPherson sits at 21st and Southwestern sits at 22nd. Kansas Wesleyan rounds out KCAC programs, currently receiving votes in the poll.

The Evangel Valor football team was also tabbed to finish first in the Kessinger Division in the 2026 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Football Coaches Poll released on Friday.

Evangel earned 25 points in the poll voting, five of which were first place votes, the most that can be received by a team in one division. Close behind Evangel was Ottawa with 20 points in the poll, followed by Tabor with 17 and the other first place vote. Bethel (11) was chosen to finish fourth, while Bethany (10) was tabbed fifth and Avila (7) rounded out teams in the Kessinger division in sixth.

McPherson and Friends were nearly deadlocked for the lead in the Bissell division, with McPherson coming out on top with 23 points and three first place votes, while the Falcons finished with 22 points and the other three first place votes. Southwestern (18), Kansas Wesleyan (13), Saint Mary (8), and Sterling (6) round out placement in the Bissell.

For the media poll in the Kessinger, Evangel earned 108 points, with 18 first place votes, finishing first in the division. Behind Evangel was Ottawa with 87 points, followed by Tabor (72), Bethel (44), Bethany (40), and Avila (27).

The 2026 season kicks off under the lights on Saturday, August 29, at 6:00 p.m. against Saint Mary in Nixa, Missouri.

For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, visit Facebook at Facebook.com/EvangelValor, Twitter (@EvangelValor), or EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on their favorite EU teams by downloading the Evangel Athletics Gameday App through the App Store or Google Play.  

—#OneValor—