The UAC just dropped its 2026 preseason coaches poll, and talk about a dead heat at the top! The Abilene Christian Wildcats and Tarleton State Texans are both picked to finish atop the United Athletic Conference, setting the stage for an absolutely electric season. These coaches know what’s up, tabling both squads as the preseason favorites to snag that conference championship title.
Defending Champs Ready for a Three-Peat?
It’s no shocker to see ACU right there, leading the charge. They grabbed three first-place votes, and honestly, why wouldn’t they? We’re talking about a team fresh off back-to-back UAC conference championships in 2024 and 2025, not to mention two trips to the FCS Playoffs! That’s serious consistency. Their record over those two years is a stellar 18-10 overall and a dominant 14-2 in UAC conference games. This is huge for them, too, marking the first time since 2011, back when they were in the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference, that they’ve been the preseason favorites to win a conference title. They are hungry!
But don’t sleep on Tarleton State, not for a second. They also snagged three first-place votes, totally tying it up with ACU at the top. The Texans are no strangers to winning either, coming off their own back-to-back FCS Playoff appearances and even clinching a share of that 2025 UAC conference title alongside ACU. Their overall record during that same two-year span is even better at 22-6, with a solid 13-3 in UAC conference play. Austin Peay even managed to snag two first-place votes, showing there are other contenders, but clearly, the top two are in a class of their own.
The Road to the Title: Numbers Don’t Lie
The final tally in the preseason poll just screams “tight race.” Both Abilene Christian and Tarleton State finished with 65 points each, absolutely locking them into that T-1 spot. Austin Peay is right behind them with 62 points, making this a three-horse race early on. Rounding out the top of the conference, we’ve got Eastern Kentucky at 48 points, Central Arkansas with 43, West Georgia hitting 39, North Alabama at 37, and West Florida closing it out with 33 points.
Look, the hype for these two teams is real, and we won’t have to wait long to see them go head-to-head with some serious stakes. Mark your calendars now: the ACU and Tarleton rivalry gets renewed at 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, over at Memorial Stadium in Stephenville. You know that game is gonna be absolutely wild, and it could easily decide who has the inside track to that UAC conference title!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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