SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Citadel was selected 10th in the 2026 Southern Conference Preseason Poll, per an announcement from the league office Monday afternoon. The SoCon Preseason Poll comes together based on ballots from all 11 head coaches from around the conference.

The Bulldogs received 19 points in the voting. The Citadel returns 13 players from last season while welcoming 13 newcomers, including seven freshmen and six transfers.

"Excited to compete and continue making progress each week as we prepare for SoCon play," head coach Ciaran Traquair said. "This is a tough conference, but we believe in this group and will do everything we can to put ourselves in a position to succeed."

Defending regular-season and tournament champion Samford was selected as the preseason favorite, receiving 10 first-place votes and 100 points. Furman received the remaining first-place vote and tied ETSU for second with 80 points apiece.

2026 SoCon Preseason Poll
1) Samford (10) – 100
t-2) Furman (1) – 80
t-2) ETSU – 80
4) Western Carolina – 68
5) Chattanooga – 67
6) Mercer – 66
7) UNCG – 43
8) Tennessee Tech – 40
9) Wofford – 32
10) The Citadel – 19
11) VMI – 10

The Citadel opens the 2026 regular season Wednesday, Aug. 12, at Queens in Charlotte, N.C., kickoff set for 7 p.m.

For the latest information on The Citadel soccer team, visit CitadelSports.com and follow @CitadelWSoccer on Facebook, X and Instagram.