WACO, Texas – The National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) has released the Coaches Preseason Poll on Wednesday, marking the start of the 2026-27 season for collegiate equestrian.

The Preseason Coaches Poll is led for both the Dual and Single Disciplines by the reigning national champions, South Carolina for Dual and Lynchburg for Single Discipline. The Single Discipline poll has been expanded to eight member institutions following the expansion of the field.

Coaches Dual Preseason Poll
1. South Carolina
2. Texas A&M
3. Auburn
4. Georgia
5. SMU
6. Oklahoma State
7. TCU
8. Fresno State
9. Baylor
10. UT Martin

Coaches Single Preseason Poll
1. Lynchburg
2. College of Charleston
3. Sweet Briar
4. Dartmouth
5. Centenary
6. Bridgewater & Sacred Heart
8. Sewanee

No. 9 Baylor and South Dakota State will set the pace for 2026-27, holding the first meet of the fall season in Waco at the Willis Equestrian Center. No. 7 TCU will continue the momentum for the season, hosting the Jackrabbits the next day in Burleson. A full schedule for 2026-27 can be found on the NCEA webpage. Scores will be updated, box scores will be uploaded and winning recaps will be posted each weekend.

About the NCEA
A non-profit corporation, the NCEA is a governing body to advance the sport of equestrian. The NCEA is responsible for the development and administration of equestrian rules and guidelines. Equestrian is subject to all NCAA policies and procedures in the same manner as other sports. In 1998, Equestrian was identified and adopted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Committee on Women's Athletics (CWA) as an emerging sport for women at the Division I and II levels. 

NCEA competitions are in a head-to-head format, and schools may choose to compete as a single or dual discipline team (Jumping Seat and Western). Each discipline has two events: in Jumping Seat, Fences and Flat, and in Western, Horsemanship and Reining. Teams can have five riders per event, with horses assigned by random draw at the start of the competition. Riders from opposing teams compete on the same horse, and whichever rider receives the higher score earns one point for her team. The level of difficulty is demonstrated by the accuracy of the pattern and how the competitor uses the horse to the best of her ability.

To stay up to date all year long on all things NCEA Equestrian, follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @NCEA_Equestrian and @ncea_eq.