Newtown, Pa. (Football) - The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) football coaches have released their preseason poll ahead of the 2026 season, and defending conference champion Eastern is the unanimous favorite to repeat.
Eastern claimed all eight possible first-place votes and totaled 81 points to top the preseason poll. The Eagles enter the season looking to defend the first conference title in program history, won in just their third season of varsity football with a 16-10 win over Stevenson that clinched the title outright.
Delaware Valley was picked second with 66 points, followed by Misericordia in third with 61 points. Lebanon Valley and Stevenson tied for fourth with 52 points apiece, while King's rounds out the top half of the poll in sixth with 48 points.
The full preseason order: Eastern (81 points, 9 first-place votes), Delaware Valley (66), Misericordia (61), Lebanon Valley and Stevenson (tied, 52 each), King's (48), Widener (31), Albright (27), FDU-Florham (22) and Alvernia (10).
2026 MAC Season Preview
Eastern enters the fall as the team to beat after a storybook 2025 that delivered the program's first conference title in just its third season of varsity football, along with the league's first-ever trip to the NCAA Division III playoffs. The Eagles will need to replace MAC Offensive Player of the Year Brett Nabb, but reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year Jason Bateman returns as a senior after a First Team season at linebacker, giving Eastern a foundation to build a title defense around. Head coach Billy Crocker, last year's MAC Coach of the Year, returns as well after leading the fastest turnaround in the poll's memory.
Delaware Valley and Misericordia sit right behind as the closest challengers. Delaware Valley reached the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series as the league's No. 1 seed and topped Dickinson 14-13 behind MVP Gavin Migliori, and while Migliori graduates, the Aggies bring back defensive line anchor Thomas Arcaroli, a junior-turned-senior, along with First-Year-turned-sophomore return specialist Joel Perez, who earned First Team honors as a true freshman. Misericordia returns Second Team junior-turned-senior quarterback Jacob Hunter after a 7-4 season that included a trip to the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series.
Lebanon Valley and Stevenson enter tied at fourth in the poll. Lebanon Valley reached its own Centennial-MAC Bowl Series appearance a year ago, while Stevenson returns Second Team junior-turned-senior offensive lineman Kaydn Cephas and sophomore-turned-junior linebacker Tysean Milligan after falling just short in the MAC title game.
King's, picked sixth, returns First Team junior-turned-senior offensive lineman Kaleb Beers and defensive lineman Xander Murray after a 5-5 season, giving the Colonels a strong foundation up front on both sides of the ball.
Further down the poll, Widener, Albright, FDU-Florham and Alvernia will be looking to climb the standings. Widener returns 2025 MAC Rookie of the Year Fred Adler, a place-kicker who earned First Team honors as a true freshman and now heads into his sophomore season, along with Second Team sophomore-turned-junior linebacker Luke Shimko. Albright brings back First Team sophomore-turned-junior wide receiver Arthur Poindexter, one of the league's most dangerous returning playmakers.
2025 Season & Postseason Notes
Eastern capped a historic 2025 campaign by clinching the MAC championship outright with a 16-10 win over Stevenson, securing the program's first conference title in just its third season of varsity football and the league's automatic qualifier into the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Eagles earned a first-round bye, then knocked off fellow first-time playoff qualifier Franklin & Marshall in the second round before their season ended with a 29-0 loss to Susquehanna in the third round, closing the year at 10-2.
The MAC's next three finishers — Delaware Valley, Misericordia and Lebanon Valley — represented the conference in the 10th annual Centennial-MAC Bowl Series against Centennial Conference opponents. Delaware Valley, the league's top seed, edged Dickinson 14-13 behind a 191-yard, two-touchdown performance from Gavin Migliori, who was named the game's MVP. Misericordia fell to Carnegie Mellon 24-17, and Lebanon Valley fell to Ursinus 31-13 to close out the MAC's 2025 postseason.