NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer: Vermont Holds No. 1; Stanford, Pitt Surge as 10 Newcomers Crash Top 25

Jonathan Turner
Aug 28
2 min read

NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Defending national champion Vermont opened 2025 the same way it finished 2024—on top. The Catamounts stayed at No. 1 in the first in-season United Soccer Coaches Top 25 released Wednesday, collecting eight first-place votes and 200 points after a 2–0–0 start.

Marshall remains close at No. 2, while Pittsburgh climbs to No. 3, joined by fast-rising Stanford at No. 4 and Wake Forest at No. 5 to round out a top five dominated by ACC and perennial national contenders.

NSN Takeaways

Champions steady: Vermont backs up its preseason No. 1 with a perfect opening weekend and the poll’s most first-place votes.
Early risers: Stanford vaults from preseason 13 to No. 4; Pitt jumps to No. 3 after an unbeaten start.
ACC muscle: Seven ACC programs sit in the top 15 (Pitt, Stanford, Wake Forest, NC State, Duke, Virginia, North Carolina).
New blood: Ten teams enter the rankings, including Virginia Tech, High Point, Oregon State, North Carolina, California, Kentucky, Gardner-Webb, Florida Atlantic, UNCG (T-23), and Denver.

Top 25 (first-place votes • previous rank • points • record)

Vermont (8) • 1 • 200 • 2-0-0
Marshall • 2 • 192 • 1-0-0
Pittsburgh • 7 • 184 • 1-0-0
Stanford • 13 • 176 • 2-0-0
Wake Forest • 6 • 168 • 1-0-0
Clemson • 9 • 160 • 0-0-1
Indiana • 11 • 152 • 1-0-1
NC State • 14 • 144 • 2-0-0
Duke • 15 • 136 • 2-0-0
West Virginia • 16 • 128 • 2-0-0
Virginia • 17 • 120 • 2-0-0
Virginia Tech • NR • 112 • 2-0-0
High Point • NR • 104 • 2-0-0
Oregon State • NR • 96 • 2-0-0
North Carolina • NR • 88 • 2-0-0
Akron • 21 • 80 • 2-0-0
California • NR • 65 • 2-0-0
Kentucky • NR • 55 • 1-0-0
UMKC • 18 • 53 • 0-0-1
Gardner-Webb • NR • 49 • 2-0-0
Denver • NR • 25 • 1-0-1
Florida Atlantic • NR • 24 • 2-0-0T-
T-23 North Carolina-Greensboro (UNCG) • NR • 19 • 2-0-0
T-23. Missouri State • 24 • 19 • 1-0-0
Dayton • 12 • 18 • 1-0-1

Newcomers to Watch

Virginia Tech (12): Statement start pushes the Hokies straight into the top dozen.
High Point (13): Perfect opening week vaults the Panthers into the teens.
North Carolina (15): Tar Heels return to the poll with early momentum.
California (17) & Oregon State (14): Pac-12/West Coast presence reasserts itself after a strong first weekend.
Kentucky (18), Gardner-Webb (20), FAU (22), UNCG (T-23), Denver (21): All open with positive results to grab early-season national attention.

What’s Next

Nonconference slates continue through early September before league play raises the stakes. Vermont and Marshall have targets on their backs, while Stanford’s jump and the ACC’s depth set up a volatile top 10 as contenders settle in.