RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference (GAC) announced today the 2026 football coaches' poll. Coming in at preseason number three are the Southern Arkansas University Muleriders.
The Muleriders begin year five of the
Brad Smiley era with their third consecutive top three ranking while the 2026 poll marks the ninth time since 2016 that the Muleriders are picked inside the league's top five and 11
th occasion since becoming a charter member of the conference in 2011.
Since Smiley took the helm, the Muleriders are the second winningest program in the GAC only behind Harding who tops the preseason poll. The Muleriders return a lot of key pieces off last season's eight-win team as they look to improve upon last year with even more firepower on both sides of the ball.
The full coaches' poll is as follows
- Harding (11) 121
- Ouachita Baptist (1) 103
- Southern Arkansas 99
- Henderson State 95
- Arkansas Tech 78
- East Central 68
- Southwestern Oklahoma State 67
- Southeastern Oklahoma State 53
- University of Arkansas-Monticello 38
- Oklahoma Baptist 30
- Southern Nazarene 24
- Northwestern Oklahoma State 16
Muleriders in GAC Preseason Coaches Polls
2025 | 3rd out of 12
2024 | 3rd of 12
2023 | 4th of 12
2022 | 8th of 12
2021 | 5th of 12
2019 | 3rd of 12
2018 | 3rd of 12
2017 | 1st of 12
2016 | 5th of 12
2015 | 6th of 12
2014 | 5th of 11
2013 | 2nd of 11
2012 | T6 of 9
2011 | 7th of 9
The Muleriders will open their 2026 campaign in Shawnee, Oklahoma on Thursday, September 3rd as they take on the Oklahoma Baptist Bison. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m.
