Reigning SCAC regular-season champion Colorado College has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2026 SCAC men's soccer title in voting conducted exclusively by the league's head coaches.

The Tigers put together the first unbeaten regular season in program history last year and advanced to the SCAC Tournament final for the first time since 2019. Colorado College has posted an impressive 30-0-8 record in SCAC play over the last four seasons and has not dropped a conference contest since October 2021.

Head coach Scott Palguta welcomes back five First Team All-SCAC selections from a year ago, including reigning SCAC Offensive Player-of-the-Year Teddy Opler. The junior led the conference with 34 points on a league-best 14 goals and six assists last season. Opler is joined by fellow First Team All-SCAC honorees Jack Hilliard and Will Jones, giving the Tigers three of their top five scorers from a year ago. The trio combined for 21 goals, 19 assists and 61 points, helping Colorado College lead the SCAC with 55 goals and average a conference-best 2.89 goals per game.

Defensively, Alex Wolter and Dylan Stapley lead the group after earning First Team All-SCAC honors a year ago. Wolter and Stapley anchor a Colorado College defense that posted a league-best 0.53 goals-against average, allowed just 10 goals and recorded 11 shutouts last season.

Palguta, who has amassed a 135-42-30 career mark at Colorado College, enters his 12th season at the helm of the Tigers and has etched his name as the second-winningest coach in program history.  

CC received seven of the possible 10 first-place votes in the preseason balloting, ending with 97 points.

The SCAC men's soccer season begins on Tuesday, September 1, with several teams competing in non-conference action over Labor Day weekend. The first full weekend of conference matches are scheduled for the first weekend in October.

The 2026 six-team SCAC Men's Soccer Tournament will return to Round Rock Multipurpose Complex in Round Rock, Texas - marking the second consecutive year the venue will serve as host of the league's postseason championship event. Quarterfinal matches will be contested on Thursday, November 5, the semifinal matches on Friday, November 6 and the championship match will be played Sunday, November 8.