BOSTON, Mass. — On Wednesday evening, Collegeinsider announced the Preseason Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, with the RedHawks beginning the 2026-27 season ranked No. 1 overall after receiving 18 first-place votes. Akron begins ranked No. 7, while Toledo came in at No. 24. 

Last season, Miami was ranked No. 10 in the College Insider Preseason Mid-Major Top 25 and went on to supplant Gonzaga at No. 1 on March 2. The RedHawks are coming off a perfect 31-0 regular season and a MAC regular-season championship. Miami went on to defeat SMU in the NCAA Tournament, finishing with a 32-2 record, which set a program record for the most wins in a season. 

Now in its 28th season, the Mid-Major Top 25 is voted on by 31 Division I coaches.

https://getsomemaction.com/news/2026/10/...-poll.aspx

A good poll, with folks from the universities voting for it (one's from EMU, and EMU got 1 vote tho - lol).

They list the conferences, and I totally understand that P12's not in it (much of best teams formerly in MW + Gonzaga + Oregon St + Wash St) -- and I understand the AAC not in it, an equally Top-G5 conference in football. And it would be easier for a non-power conference to be "up" in basketball than football. But what gets me is that the depleted Mountain West isn't in this? Granted, they have UNLV who was historically a Top National team, going into and part of the last decade last century -- but still. Granted, they don't have NIU in their conference (NIU joined Horizon League), nor North Dakota State -- but they have besides UNLV and Mountain Wests' leftovers -- Grand Canyon & UC Davis. Maybe they understandably weren't in this conference gathering for some years with their prolonged/now-very-changed conference setup, thus still not in it.

*Kent State for votes comes in at #26

Yeah, at this point if the MWC is being left out, the MAC should be too. The new MWC basketball is not any better than the MAC.

(10-29-2026 01:14 PM)astr083 Wrote:  Yeah, at this point if the MWC is being left out, the MAC should be too. The new MWC basketball is not any better than the MAC.

Nevada and UNM I judge as a major programs. NDSU is also a very good mid major if theyre in the MWC in bball.

The spending difference from 4+ million for coaches and sold out 10k+ arenas certainly is Big East adjacent opposed to what the MAC does.

(10-29-2026 03:56 PM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 01:14 PM)astr083 Wrote:  Yeah, at this point if the MWC is being left out, the MAC should be too. The new MWC basketball is not any better than the MAC.

Nevada and UNM I judge as a major programs. NDSU is also a very good mid major if theyre in the MWC in bball.

The spending difference from 4+ million for coaches and sold out 10k+ arenas certainly is Big East adjacent opposed to what the MAC does.

New Mexico, UNLV, Nevada, UNLV, and Grand Canyon are all among the top spending mid-majors in the country. MWC isn't what it was, but it's still clearly better than the MAC at the top. Probably better in the middle and bottom as well.

(10-29-2026 04:53 PM)kreed5120 Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 03:56 PM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 01:14 PM)astr083 Wrote:  Yeah, at this point if the MWC is being left out, the MAC should be too. The new MWC basketball is not any better than the MAC.

Nevada and UNM I judge as a major programs. NDSU is also a very good mid major if theyre in the MWC in bball.

The spending difference from 4+ million for coaches and sold out 10k+ arenas certainly is Big East adjacent opposed to what the MAC does.

New Mexico, UNLV, Nevada, UNLV, and Grand Canyon are all among the top spending mid-majors in the country. MWC isn't what it was, but it's still clearly better than the MAC at the top. Probably better in the middle and bottom as well.

Yeah it's far better than the MAC lol. Multi-bid league most years for sure.

Very nice to see Miami in the poll and adding in our MinuteWomen are also ranked #23 in the same type of poll.

(10-29-2026 04:53 PM)kreed5120 Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 03:56 PM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  

(10-29-2026 01:14 PM)astr083 Wrote:  Yeah, at this point if the MWC is being left out, the MAC should be too. The new MWC basketball is not any better than the MAC.

Nevada and UNM I judge as a major programs. NDSU is also a very good mid major if theyre in the MWC in bball.

The spending difference from 4+ million for coaches and sold out 10k+ arenas certainly is Big East adjacent opposed to what the MAC does.

New Mexico, UNLV, Nevada, UNLV, and Grand Canyon are all among the top spending mid-majors in the country. MWC isn't what it was, but it's still clearly better than the MAC at the top. Probably better in the middle and bottom as well.

I don't know, when we have seen the top MAC teams play those teams the games have been very competitive. I'm not sure implying the MWC is head and shoulders above the MAC is necessarily accurate.

(10-29-2026 01:14 PM)astr083 Wrote:  Yeah, at this point if the MWC is being left out, the MAC should be too. The new MWC basketball is not any better than the MAC.

The MAC is better than this list since most of our pier G6 schools are not on here. Old West Coast and Ivy’s are on here which is good, but we are a tier above this pool.