IRVING, Texas – Defending American Conference champion Florida Atlantic has been selected as the preseason favorite in the 2026 American Conference Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, as voted on by the league’s head coaches.
The Owls, who finished 45-12 in 2025 and captured the American regular-season title, earned eight of the 10 first-place votes and a total of 80 points. It marks the first time Florida Atlantic has been chosen as the preseason favorite since joining the conference.
South Florida, the 2025 American Softball Championship tournament champion, was picked second after posting a 44-16-1 record last season. The Bulls collected the remaining two first-place votes and totaled 71 points. Wichita State (29-25-1 in 2025) rounded out the top three with 59 points.
Charlotte (30-27) was selected fourth with 58 points. North Texas (36-21), the 2025 American Championship runner-up, placed fifth with 45 points. East Carolina (31-26) followed closely in sixth with 44 points, while Tulsa (21-33) was tabbed seventh with 35 points.
UAB (24-31) placed eighth with 27 points. UTSA (21-34) and Memphis (19-36) rounded out the poll in ninth and tenth, respectively. The Roadrunners earned 20 points, while the Tigers tallied 11.
2026 American Conference Softball Coaches’ Poll
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
| 1 |
Florida Atlantic (8) |
80 |
| 2 |
South Florida (2) |
71 |
| 3 |
Wichita State |
59 |
| 4 |
Charlotte |
58 |
| 5 |
North Texas |
45 |
| 6 |
East Carolina |
44 |
| 7 |
Tulsa |
35 |
| 8 |
UAB |
27 |
| 9 |
UTSA |
20 |
| 10 |
Memphis |
11 |
(#) denotes first-place votes