KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Ahead of a Wednesday afternoon top-10 matchup featuring the University of Mobile Men's Soccer team and the Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced on Wednesday morning, Sept. 21 that the Rams of Mobile have been ranked No. 1 in the latest NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches' Top 25 Poll. Mobile, the reigning national runner-up in the NAIA, takes over the top spot in the NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches' Top 25 Poll by receiving 14 first-place votes in the latest rankings. The Rams began the 2022 season as the second-ranked team in the NAIA, and held that spot for the first three weeks of the season.
On Wednesday, Mobile, led by ninth-year head coach Daniel Whelan, is set to meet No. 10 Georgia Gwinnett College for a non-conference matchup between two undefeated teams on the Grizzlies' home turf in Lawrenceville, Ga. Georgia Gwinnett enters Wednesday's match with a 6-0-1 overall record, while Mobile is sporting a 4-0-1 overall record.
Poll Methodology
- The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences, Association of Independent Institutions and Unaffiliated Groups.
- The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second-place and so on through the list.
- The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered a low rating) is removed and the team's ranking will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the teams appear on.
- Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered "receiving votes."
- For the complete men's soccer ratings calendar, click here: https://www.naia.org/sports/msoc/2022-23/Releases/2022_Ratings.
Latest NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches' Top 25 Poll
| RANK |
LAST |
SCHOOL [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] |
CONFERENCE |
RECORD |
FINAL POINTS |
| 1 |
2 |
Mobile (Ala.) [14] |
Southern States |
4-0-1 |
495 |
| 2 |
4 |
Mid-America Christian (Okla.) [4] |
Sooner |
6-1 |
480 |
| 3 |
1 |
Central Methodist (Mo.) |
Heart |
3-0-3 |
468 |
| 4 |
5 |
St. Thomas (Fla.) |
The Sun |
2-0 |
437 |
| 4 |
6 |
Missouri Valley |
Heart |
4-1-1 |
437 |
| 6 |
8 |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
Heart |
4-1-2 |
406 |
| 7 |
7 |
Keiser (Fla.) |
The Sun |
3-0-2 |
397 |
| 8 |
12 |
Grace (Ind.) |
Crossroads |
5-0-3 |
376 |
| 9 |
9 |
Dalton State (Ga.) |
Southern States |
5-0-2 |
368 |
| 10 |
10 |
Georgia Gwinnett |
Contintental |
6-0-1 |
356 |
| 11 |
11 |
University of Northwestern Ohi |
Wolverine-Hoosier |
5-0-2 |
354 |
| 12 |
3 |
Columbia (Mo.) |
American Midwest |
2-2-2 |
343 |
| 13 |
14 |
Bethel (Ind.) |
Crossroads |
6-1-1 |
308 |
| 14 |
16 |
Oklahoma Wesleyan |
Kansas Collegiate |
2-3-1 |
263 |
| 15 |
17 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
Mid-South |
2-1-1 |
256 |
| 16 |
18 |
Florida National |
Contintental |
7-0 |
248 |
| 17 |
19 |
William Carey (Miss.) |
Southern States |
3-1-1 |
241 |
| 18 |
20 |
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) |
Chicagoland |
6-1 |
213 |
| 19 |
13 |
Ottawa (Ariz.) |
Golden State |
4-2-1 |
202 |
| 20 |
22 |
Life (Ga.) |
Southern States |
6-0 |
186 |
| 21 |
25 |
Corban (Ore.) |
Cascade |
7-0 |
175 |
| 22 |
15 |
Indiana Tech |
Wolverine-Hoosier |
2-1-3 |
144 |
| 23 |
NR |
Bethel (Tenn.) |
Mid-South |
4-0-2 |
112 |
| 24 |
21 |
Tennessee Wesleyan |
Appalachian |
2-0-4 |
111 |
| 25 |
24 |
Rio Grande (Ohio) |
River States |
4-3 |
102 |
- Dropped From Poll: Missouri Baptist
- Receiving Votes: Indiana Wesleyan 97; Williams Baptist (Ark.) 73; Baker (Kan.) 38; Warner Pacific (Ore.) 35; UC Merced 31; Viterbo (Wis.) 27; Hastings (Neb.) 26; Missouri Baptist 17; LSU Shreveport (La.) 14; Westmont (Calif.) 11; WVU Tech 10; Southeastern (Fla.) 9; Milligan (Tenn.) 8; Madonna (Mich.) 3; Louisiana Christian 3; Grand View (Iowa) 3
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
