Men's Soccer 8/11/2026 4:00:00 PM Clayton Messerle, Assistant Athletic Director

Warriors Dubbed Ninth Team in 2026 CCC Men’s Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) office announced the 2026 Men's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Poll on Tuesday morning, with the Corban University men's soccer program selected ninth among the conference's 13 member institutions. Entering a new era under first-year head coach Jordan Keegan, the Warriors will look to climb the conference standings and return to postseason contention in one of the NAIA's most competitive soccer conferences.

To view the conference's release on the 2026 CCC Men's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Poll, click HERE.

"I'm excited for the opportunity ahead of us this season," shared Keegan. "This group has embraced the challenge of building something special together. We have a lot of new faces, but we've also retained important experience and leadership. Preseason polls are a reflection of past results and outside opinions, but our focus remains on our daily growth, our culture, and competing at a high level every time we step on the field."

Corban earned 61 points in the voting, placing ninth overall and finishing just 22 points behind Bushnell University for eighth place. The Warriors were followed by Northwest University (43 points), The Evergreen State College (40 points), Walla Walla University (28 points), and the University of Providence (27 points).

The 2026 campaign marks the beginning of Keegan's tenure as the Warriors' 16th head coach. A former Corban student-athlete and CCC champion, Keegan returns to Salem after spending the past six years with the Portland Timbers organization.

Despite the modest preseason projection, Corban remains one of the CCC's most tradition-rich programs. The Warriors have consistently competed among the conference's top teams over the past decade, highlighted by multiple NAIA National Tournament appearances, conference championships, and a reputation for developing high-level talent. Keegan himself was a member of Corban's historic 2019 squad that captured the CCC Championship while completing the program's first undefeated conference season.

The Warriors enter the season seeking a bounce-back performance after finishing the 2025 campaign with a 4-10-4 overall record and a 2-6-4 mark in conference play. While the results did not meet the program's expectations and resulted in Corban narrowly missing the CCC Championship Tournament, the roster gained valuable experience throughout a season that featured multiple tightly contested conference matches.

Optimism surrounds the program heading into 2026 as Corban combines 15 returning players with an influx of 22 newcomers in one of the largest recruiting classes in recent program history. The blend of veteran experience and fresh talent provides the Warriors with renewed energy as they pursue a return to the conference postseason race.

The poll is topped by Eastern Oregon University, which earned 149 points and three first-place votes after claiming the 2025 CCC regular-season championship. Carroll College followed closely with 148 points and four first-place votes, while Warner Pacific University collected a conference-best five first-place votes and 147 total points to round out the top three.

With the season approaching rapidly and a new leader at the helm, the Warriors will embrace the opportunity to outperform expectations and reestablish themselves among the conference contenders. The 2026 CCC Men's Soccer season is scheduled to begin on September 17th, with the CCC Championship Tournament returning to Medford, Oregon, in November.

2026 CCC Men's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Poll Results

Team [First-Place Votes] Points

1. Eastern Oregon [3] 149

2. Carroll College [4] 148

3. Warner Pacific (Ore.) [5] 147

4. Rocky Mountain (Mont.) [1] 133

5. College of Idaho 116

6. Southern Oregon 114

7. Oregon Tech 94

8. Bushnell (Ore.) 83

9. Corban (Ore.) 61

10. Northwest (Wash.) 43