KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The High Point University men's soccer team has moved up seven spots in the United Soccer Coaches rankings to No. 9, which was announced by the association on Tuesday.

The United Soccer Coaches poll is the official NCAA.com poll of all Division I men's soccer. In the College Soccer News and TopDrawerSoccer rankings — two additional national polls — the Panthers are ranked No. 7 in each.

Dating back to 2024, HPU has been ranked in the United Soccer Coaches for 19 weeks in a row. The Panthers have been one of the nation's top-ranked squads since October 15, 2024. On October 28, 2024, HPU earned its highest ranking at No. 11 ranking before rising as high as No. 5 on October 7, 2025. In 2024, the Panthers were ranked No. 2 in the nation by TDS.

After one week, the Panthers are making their presence known once again. HPU jumpstarted 2026 with a demanding 5-2 victory over Long Island University and followed it up with a thrilling 3-2 win over No. 11 Virginia. It was the Panthers' first win over UVA since the 1940s, marking the first in the DI era to earn HPU's first ranked win in 2026.

Next, the Panthers head to No. 4 Maryland for a top-10 showdown on Saturday. The last time HPU faced the Terps, the Panthers stunned them in a 2-1 victory as this 2026 matchup will be the first since that match on Oct. 17, 2022.

In the Haines Era, HPU has been ranked seven out of his eight years (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025, & 2026) with the Panthers receiving votes in 2023. The Panthers have never shied away from a tough schedule, ending 2025 at No. 15 in the RPI and No. 16 in the rankings.

Over the years, High Point has defeated: No. 1 Pittsburgh, No. 7 Maryland, No. 17 Elon, North Carolina, West Virginia, Duke, No. 14/25 Georgetown, No. 25 Coastal Carolina and now No. 11 Virginia. The Panthers have earned quality results in draws with No. 2 Georgetown in 2022, while tying No. 10 Marshall and No. 10 West Virginia in 2025.
 

2026 Rankings
TopDrawerSoccer (TDS)
United Soccer Coaches (USC)
College Soccer News (CSN)

Preseason: #16 (USC), #13 (CSN), #9 (TDS)
Week 1: #9 (USC), #7 (CSN), #7 (TDS)