MONTGOMERY, Ala. – After a record-setting 2025 season, the University of Tennessee Southern men's cross country team has been selected second in the 2026 Southern States Athletic Conference Men's Cross Country Coaches' Preseason Poll, the conference office announced Thursday.
UT Southern earned 104 points and two first-place votes in the poll, trailing only defending conference champion Mobile. The Firehawks were one of just three programs to eclipse the 100-point mark, joining Mobile and Loyola.
The preseason recognition comes on the heels of the most successful season in program history. Last fall, UT Southern posted its highest-ever finish at the SSAC Championships, claiming runner-up honors with 62 points. The Firehawks finished just 11 points behind champion Mobile and were among the conference's top teams throughout the season.
The strong projection for 2026 reflects the experience returning to Pulaski, as the Firehawks bring back more than half of last season's roster. That continuity, coupled with the momentum established during last year's breakthrough campaign, has positioned UT Southern as one of the favorites to challenge for the conference title this fall.
Head Coach Justin Watson enters his seventh season at the helm of the Firehawks program and has overseen the steady rise of UT Southern into one of the SSAC's premier cross country programs. Under Watson's leadership, the Firehawks have consistently improved and now enter the season with championship expectations.
The 2026 SSAC Men's Cross Country Championship is scheduled for Nov. 6 at Choctaw Trails in Jackson, Mississippi. The course has hosted six previous conference championships and will once again serve as the site where the Firehawks seek to take the next step after last year's runner-up finish.
2026 SSAC Men's Cross Country Coaches' Preseason Poll
- Mobile – 116 points (7 first-place votes)
- UT Southern – 104 points (2 first-place votes)
- Loyola – 101 points (2 first-place votes)
- Blue Mountain – 88 points
- William Carey – 76 points
- Faulkner – 74 points
- Brewton-Parker – 52 points
- Xavier – 36 points
- Thomas – 32 points
- Abraham Baldwin – 25 points
- Andrew – 22 points
The Firehawks will open their 2026 campaign on Sept. 4 at the JSU Foothills Invitational in Oxford, Alabama, beginning a season that they hope culminates with a conference championship and a berth at the NAIA National Championships.
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