ATLANTA -- The defending MIAA Regular Season Champion University of Central Missouri Jennies Basketball team checks in at No. 14 in the 2026-27 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Preseason Top-25 Poll released on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
The Jennies received 211 points for the No. 14 spot.
Defending National Champion Grand Valley State was picked first in the poll with 575 points and 23 first-place votes, while Colorado Mesa was second with 510 points. Alabama-Huntsville rounded out the top three in third with 465 points.
UCM was the only MIAA women's basketball team ranked in the preseason top-25. Fort Hays State (74 votes) and Missouri Southern (13 votes) both received votes in the poll.
The Jennies are slated to tip off their 2026-27 season at the D2CCA Midwest Tip-Off Challenge Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. UCM will face Northern Michigan on Friday, Oct. 30, at 11:15 a.m., defending national champion and preseason No. 1 Grand Valley State on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 9 a.m., and Lake Superior State on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 9 a.m.
UCM's 2026-27 home opener is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9, at 6 p.m. against UMSL inside the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center in Warrensburg, Mo.
2026-27 WBCA Preseason Poll
|
Rank
|
School (record)
|
Points
|
Last season's final rank
|
First-Place Votes
|
|
1
|
Grand Valley State (36-1)
|
575
|
1
|
23
|
|
2
|
Colorado Mesa (37-2)
|
510
|
3
|
0
|
|
3
|
Alabama-Huntsville (32-6)
|
465
|
4
|
0
|
|
4
|
Indiana, PA (31-4)
|
453
|
2
|
0
|
|
5
|
Cal Poly Pomona (29-5)
|
451
|
5
|
0
|
|
6
|
Texas Woman's (31-2)
|
432
|
6
|
0
|
|
7
|
Minnesota State Mankato (29-3)
|
430
|
11
|
0
|
|
8
|
Winston-Salem State (28-4)
|
411
|
9
|
0
|
|
9
|
Lenoir-Rhyne (26-6)
|
329
|
18
|
0
|
|
10
|
Holy Family (30-5)
|
279
|
7
|
0
|
|
11
|
Bentley (23-5)
|
274
|
17
|
0
|
|
12
|
Gannon (29-5)
|
265
|
8
|
0
|
|
13
|
Carson-Newman (24-11)
|
262
|
15
|
0
|
|
14
|
Central Missouri (26-7)
|
211
|
RV
|
0
|
|
15t
|
Concordia-St. Paul (26-7)
|
178
|
22
|
0
|
|
15t
|
Daemen (26-4)
|
178
|
10
|
0
|
|
17
|
Glenville State (24-7)
|
159
|
NR
|
0
|
|
18
|
Ashland (14-13)
|
157
|
NR
|
0
|
|
19
|
Tampa (19-11)
|
153
|
NR
|
0
|
|
20
|
West Texas A&M (28-5)
|
152
|
13
|
0
|
|
21
|
Western Washington (25-8)
|
148
|
RV
|
0
|
|
22
|
Minnesota Duluth (23-9)
|
85
|
12
|
0
|
|
23
|
Columbus State (25-5)
|
82
|
23
|
0
|
|
24
|
Texas-Tyler (22-11)
|
81
|
NR
|
0
|
|
25
|
Missouri-St. Louis (25-6)
|
79
|
RV
|
0
|
Dropped Out: No. 14 Nova Southeastern (28-5); No. 16 Fort Hays State (25-6); No. 19 Lincoln Memorial (26-5); No. 20 Coker (26-7); No. 21 Northwood (28-6); No. 24 Ferris State (26-7); No. 25 Central Washington (25-7).
Others receiving votes: Miles (25-6) 76; Fort Hays State (25-6) 74; Nova Southeastern (28-5) 71; Central Washington (25-7) 57; Northwood (28-6) 54; Embry-Riddle (22-7) 44; Ferris State (26-7) 36; Lincoln Memorial (26-5) 35; Lubbock Christian (23-8) 35; Fayetteville State (21-6) 34; Harding (24-7) 33; Coker (26-7) 22; Edward Waters (23-6) 22; Missouri Southern State (20-10) 13; Fairmont State (21-9) 10; Lane (22-6) 9; Vanguard U. (25-6) 9; Augusta (21-10) 8; Southern Connecticut State (20-10) 4; Benedict (19-9) 4.
