EDISON, N.J. – By a razor-thin margin, Fairfield University Men's Tennis has been selected as the favorite in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Stags topped the ledger by one point over second-place and defending league champion Quinnipiac.
Fairfield and Quinnipiac each nabbed four first-place votes, with the Stags totaling 73 points to the Bobcats' 72, as voted upon by the league's nine head coaches. The remaining first-place vote went to Rider, which placed third with 64 points.
Marist and Siena tied for fourth place in the poll, following by Sacred Heart, Mount St. Mary's, Niagara, and Merrimack.
Fairfield went 9-9 overall and the 5-3 in the MAAC last season. The third-seeded Stags were clipped by sixth-seeded Rider, 4-2, in the MAAC Quarterfinals as the Broncs embarked on an underdog run all the way to Championship Match.
The Stags' fall season was highlighted by
Alex Aguiar and
Diego Alcala winning the MAAC Masters Doubles Championship. The duo went on to reach the semifinals of the consolation bracket at the ITA Conference Masters with an upset of the tournament's third-seeded tandem representing DePaul.
Fairfield Men's Tennis opens the spring slate on Jan. 24 at Boston University. The MAAC slate is a sprint of eight matches in 27 days beginning on March 24 on the Walsh Athletic Center courts against Rider.
The top four teams will qualify for the 2026 MAAC Championship on April 25-26 at Mercer Park in West Windsor, N.J.
| 2026 Men's Tennis Preseason Coaches' Poll |
| 1 |
Fairfield |
73 (4) |
| 2 |
Quinnipiac |
72 (4) |
| 3 |
Rider |
64 (1) |
| T4 |
Marist |
48 |
| T4 |
Siena |
48 |
| 6 |
Sacred Heart |
35 |
| 7 |
Mount St. Mary's |
31 |
| 8 |
Niagara |
19 |
| 9 |
Merrimack |
15 |
