After capturing the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) title in their first season in the league, the John Carroll Blue Streaks have been selected to repeat as the NCAC champions, according to balloting of the league’s football coaches.
John Carroll secured six of the 10 first-place votes and totaled 95 points overall to claim the top spot in the 2026 NCAC Football Preseason Coaches’ Poll. DePauw was picked a close second with four first-place votes and 93 points. Wabash followed in third with 76 points, while Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) (68) and Denison (57) rounded out the top five. Wittenberg (51), Ohio Wesleyan (38), Wooster (36), Kenyon (22) and Oberlin (14) completed the poll in sixth through 10th, respectively.
John Carroll enters the 2026 season under new leadership, as Brian Polian ’97 takes over as the program’s 21st head coach. Last season, the Blue Streaks earned the 2025 NCAC Coaching Staff of the Year honor after leading JCU to a perfect 8-0 conference mark, the program’s first conference title since 2016, and a 12-2 overall record. After punching their ticket to the NCAA Division III Championship, John Carroll opened the tournament with a 35-6 win over No. 20 Randolph-Macon. The Blue Streaks then knocked off No. 2 Mount Union, 10-7, in double overtime and No. 17 Berry, 21-13, before falling 41-21 at top-ranked North Central in the semifinals.
The 2026 season welcomes new competition to the North Coast as WashU begins its first season of NCAC football. The Bears join the league after posting a 7-2 record in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) and an 8-3 overall mark in 2025.
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