WASHINGTON – Coming off a historic 2025 campaign that included an A10 title and NCAA College Cup appearance, the Saint Louis Billikens enter the 2026 season as unanimous favorites. The Atlantic 10 released the league’s Under Armour Preseason Men’s Soccer Poll on Monday, as well as the 11-player Preseason All-Conference Team.
The Preseason Poll and Preseason All-Conference Team are voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Saint Louis returns 21 student-athletes from the team’s 2025 roster, a squad that finished the season with a 13-3-8 overall record (5-0-3 A10), advancing to the College Cup for the first time since 1997. The Billikens secured the A10 Championship in a penalty kick shootout over Dayton, before reeling off NCAA Tournament wins against Kentucky, Indiana, Bryant, and Akron.
Collecting 169 points and all 13 first-place votes in the Preseason Poll, Saint Louis landed four student-athletes on the Preseason All-Conference Team: defenders Luke Adams and JC Cortez, midfielder Carlos Leatherman, and forward Theo Franca. While Adams was named American Conference Defender of the Year as a redshirt sophomore at Tulsa last season, Cortez played a key role in the Billikens’ back line that ranked among the top 20 nationally in goals against average (0.77). Leatherman tied for the team lead with four assists, including three leading to game-winning goals. Franca recorded five goals and one assist last year as a true freshman.
Dayton enters the 2026 campaign ranked second in the Preseason Poll with 146 points. The Flyers have reached the final of the Atlantic 10 Tournament in three consecutive seasons, winning the title in 2023 and 2024 before finishing runner-up in 2025.
Dayton, which finished the 2025 season with an 8-2-8 overall record (4-1-3 A10), placed three student-athletes on the 2026 Preseason All-Conference Team: defender Mikkel Madsen and midfielders Braden Seel and Miles Bonham. Madsen earned A10 All-Rookie Team accolades last year, helping Dayton hold opponents to just 15 goals across the entire season – the lowest total of any Atlantic 10 team last year. Seel started all 18 matches for the Flyers, scoring two goals and tallying four assists. Bonham found the back of the net twice last season, including once against Saint Louis in the A10 Tournament final.
George Mason took third in the Preseason Poll, earning 136 points. The Patriots produced a 7-6-3 overall record highlighted by several strong victories last season, including a 4-1 win over No. 11 Virginia in the team’s home opener.
George Mason placed three student-athletes on the Preseason All-Conference Team: midfielder James Eliuda and forwards Kelly Janssen and Martim Sereno. Eliuda recorded three goals and four assists last season, scoring two game-winning goals. Janssen tallied five goals, while Sereno paced the Patriot offense with six goals and five assists.
Fordham placed fourth in the Preseason Poll with 132 points, coming off an impressive 5-1-2 showing in conference play last year. VCU enters the season ranked fifth in the poll with 120 points, followed by Davidson in sixth with 106 points. Wildcats goalkeeper Lucas Beltran earned a spot on the Preseason All-Conference Team, recording a .697 save percentage in 2025 and a team-best six solo shutouts.
Loyola Chicago placed seventh in the Preseason Poll with 69 points, while Rhode Island and Saint Joseph’s tied for eighth at 68 points. Duquesne came in at 10
th with 58 points, as La Salle (50), St. Bonaventure (32) and George Washington rounded out the list.
The 2026 men’s soccer season gets underway on Thursday, Aug. 20, with 11 A10 schools opening their fall campaigns on the first official day of competition.
2026 Atlantic 10 Men’s Soccer Preseason All-Conference Team
Lucas Beltran (GK), Davidson
Miles Bonham, Dayton
Mikkel Madsen, Dayton
Braden Seel, Dayton
James Eliuda, George Mason
Kelly Janssen, George Mason
Martim Sereno, George Mason
Luke Adams, Saint Louis
JC Cortez, Saint Louis
Theo Franca, Saint Louis
Carlos Leatherman, Saint Louis
2026 Atlantic 10 Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll
(First Place Votes in Parenthesis)
1. Saint Louis (13) - 169
2. Dayton – 146
3. George Mason – 136
4. Fordham – 132
5. VCU – 120
6. Davidson – 106
7. Loyola Chicago – 69
T-8. Rhode Island – 68
T-8. Saint Joseph’s – 68
10. Duquesne – 58
11. La Salle – 50
12. St. Bonaventure – 32
13. George Washington - 29