MONTGOMERY, Ala. – League coaches picked Life to repeat in the 2026 Southern States Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Poll. 

The Running Eagles earned nine of 12 first-place votes, with William Carey and Faulkner following in the second and third slots. 

Alex Pama, Life Head Coach: "Of course, it's an honor to be picked No. 1 by our colleagues around the conference, but as we all know, a new season brings new opportunities for everyone. This is arguably one of the strongest men's conferences in the nation, with a lot of teams capable of competing for the top spots this year. Our guys will have to be at their best once again if we want to remain No. 1 at the end of the season."

Watch Live For Free On The Urban Edge Network

Like last year, many regular season and all SSAC Championship matches will be streamed live for free on the Urban Edge Network: https://www.urbanedgenetwork.net

2026 SSAC M&W Soccer Championships

The top eight teams will qualify for the SSAC tournament. The first round will take place Oct. 30-31 at the home of the higher seeds (#1 will host #8, #2 will host #7, etc.). Those four winners will advance to the semifinals on Nov. 5 at the Emory Folmar YMCA Soccer Complex in Montgomery, Ala. 

2026 SSAC Men's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Poll

1. Life - 141 (9)

2. William Carey - 131 (2)

3. Faulkner - 114

4. Mobile - 98

5. UT Southern - 87

5. Xavier - 87

7. Dalton State - 86

8. Thomas - 56

9. Blue Mountain - 55 (1)

10. Point - 35

11. Brewton-Parker - 34

12. Andrew - 12