Iowa, Michigan, Old Dominion rise in week one college field hockey coaches poll

Iowa huddle at the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Photo: Iowa Athletics

Iowa made the biggest jump in the week one NCAA Division I field hockey coaches poll after defeating both North Carolina and Wake Forest in the Big Ten/ACC opener. 

North Carolina was previously ranked No. 2, while Wake Forest entered at No. 7 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association preseason poll. Both ACC teams dropped in the latest rankings. 

The weekly poll is published Tuesdays throughout the college field hockey season and does not factor into NCAA Division I tournament selection. 

Iowa earned both wins in tight fashion, edging the Tar Heels 3-2 before outlasting the Demon Deacons 4-3 in overtime. 

North Carolina fell to No. 10, its lowest ranking since Nov. 2, 2021. The Tar Heels had remained a top four team since Aug. 23, 2022. 

That 2022 season was Erin Matson’s final year playing for North Carolina before she became the program’s head coach. 

The Ivy League opens play Friday. Princeton and Harvard, which have not played yet this season, each moved up one spot. 

Monmouth, Old Dominion and Louisville also climbed after pulling off upsets. Old Dominion entered the rankings for the first time since Sept. 23, 2025. 

Michigan also climbed six spots after going 1-1 at the Big Ten/ACC challenge.  

According to the NFHCA, “the poll is intended to provide a weekly snapshot of the nation’s top-performing programs based on results, strength of competition, and insight from the sport’s coaching community. Beginning after the second week of regular-season competition, teams must maintain a .500 record or better to be eligible for ranking consideration. 

“These rankings reflect the collective assessment of the designated voting coaches each week and are designed to spotlight performance on a national scale. The Coaches Polls are independent of the NCAA Championship selection process and are not intended to predict or determine postseason qualification or seeding.” 

Here are the DI college field hockey teams with the most votes in the NFHCA week one coaches poll: 

20. Rutgers, 1-1 (17)

19. Yale, 0-0 (16) 

18. Old Dominion, 2-0 (unranked) 

17. Monmouth, 1-1 (18)

16. Miami, 1-1 (10)

15. Louisville, 2-0 (19)

14. Liberty, 1-1 (8)

13. Maryland, 2-0 (13) 

12. Syracuse, 2-0 (9)

11. Massachusetts, 2-0 (15)

10. North Carolina, 0-2 (2)

9. Connecticut, 2-0 (11)

8. Michigan, 1-1 (14)

7. Wake Forest, 1-1 (7)  

6. Duke, 2-0 (6) 

5. Virginia, 1-0 (5) 

4. Iowa, 2-0 (11) 

3. Harvard, 0-0 (4)

2. Princeton, 0-0 (3) 

1. Northwestern, 2-0 (1)  

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