The latest NCAA women's soccer rankings are out, and Stanford remains on top. The Cardinal kept its No. 1 position in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll after opening the college soccer season 3-0-0.
Still, the bigger story is the movement behind the rankings.
Top NCAA Women's Soccer Teams Build Early-Season Momentum
Alabama surged 12 spots to No. 6, while West Virginia climbed 15 places to crack the Top 10 at No. 7. Wake Forest, meanwhile, jumped six spots to No. 5 on the strength of a perfect 4-0-0 start, the only team in the top five with four wins through week two.
Not every program trended upward, though. Florida State, which finished the 2025 season ranked No. 1 nationally, tumbled 13 spots from No. 3 to No. 16 in the NCAA women's soccer rankings. Notre Dame's slide was even sharper, falling 17 places to No. 25.
Duke held steady at No. 2 with a 3-0-1 record, and Vanderbilt moved into a tie for third alongside Michigan State. Both programs are unbeaten at 3-0-0.
It's only the second week of NCAA women's play, but the early reshuffling suggests the national title race could look very different from last season's final poll.
