FRISCO, Texas -- Stephen F. Austin (SFA) men and women cross country teams have been selected as the 2026 preseason favorites in the inagural Southland Cross Country Preseason Polls, the league announced Thursday.
SFA men earned 121 points and 11 first-place votes, while the women earned 117 points and seven first-place votes for the sweep. Last year, both the men and women won the Southland Cross Country Championship, with the men completing a triple-crown after also winning the indoor and outdoor track and field championships.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men and women both finished second in their respective polls. On the men's side, the Islanders earned 109 points and one first-place vote. The women earned 115 points and five first-place votes.
UIW men (102 points) and UTRGV women (98 points) round out the top-three in both polls.
The Southland Conference preseason poll is voted on by each institution's head coach and sports information director through one ballot. Each institution ranks their predicted order of regular season finish, not including their own team.
The 2026 Southland Conference Cross Country Championships are hosted by McNeese in Lake Charles, Louisiana, on Friday, October 30.
2026 Southland Conference Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
| Pl |
Team (First-place votes) |
Total |
| 1. |
SFA |
121 (11) |
| 2. |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
109 (1) |
| 3. |
UIW |
102 |
| 4. |
Lamar |
83 |
| T5. |
UTRGV |
78 |
| T5. |
McNeese |
78 |
| 7. |
HCU |
57 |
| 8. |
East Texas A&M |
54 |
| 9. |
New Orleans |
47 |
| 10. |
Nicholls |
29 |
| 11. |
Northwestern State |
18 |
| 12. |
Southeastern |
16 |
2026 Southland Conference Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
| Pl |
Team (First-place votes) |
Total |
| 1. |
SFA |
117 (7) |
| 2. |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
115 (5) |
| 3. |
UTRGV |
98 |
| 4. |
UIW |
90 |
| 5. |
McNeese |
75 |
| 6. |
Lamar |
69 |
| 7. |
New Orleans |
60 |
| 8. |
HCU |
56 |
| 9. |
Nicholls |
43 |
| 10. |
East Texas A&M |
37 |
| 11. |
Southeastern |
17 |
| 12. |
Northwestern State |
15 |