Men’s Cross Country Picked Fifth in ACC Preseason Poll
August 25, 2026 | Cross Country
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The University of Louisville cross country team was selected to finish fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season in a preseason poll by the league's head coaches.
The Cardinals received 214 points and one first-place vote to earn the fifth-highest ranking after finishing eighth in the ACC last season. This marks the second-highest preseason poll placement in team history, following their placement as fourth in 2016.
Votes were tied between Syracuse and Wake Forest to win the ACC title, as each received 269 points. Syracuse received six first-place votes, while Wake Forest received five. Notre Dame was picked to finish third with 234 points, followed by Virginia in fourth with 216 points and three first-place votes. The full preseason ACC coaches poll can be found below.
In 2025, the Cardinals concluded their season by placing 26th as a team at the 2025 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. Their qualification marked their sixth appearance at a national championship in program history, and their first since 2015. Prior to the national championship meet, the team finished sixth at the 2025 NCAA Southeast Regional Championships.
Returning sophomore Elsingi Kipruto led the Cardinals during the 2025 season, placing 39th overall and earning All-America honors at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Kipruto concluded his freshman season as the NCAA Southeast Regional runner-up and the ACC Men's Cross Country Freshman of the Year.
The Louisville men also add Nickson Kogei, a sophomore who transferred in from Cincinnati after finishing 18th at the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships, and Kelvin Kipleting, who will enter his freshman season having run a personal-best 3000m time of 8:03 at altitude in his native country of Kenya.
The University of Louisville women's cross country team was selected 12th in the women's cross country ACC preseason coaches poll. During the 2025 season, the team finished in 11th place at the ACC Cross Country Championships.
The Louisville Cardinals will kick off their 2026 season on Friday, September 4th, when select individuals from the team will travel to Evansville, Indiana to participate in the Stegemoller Screagle Invite hosted by the University of Southern Indiana.
2026 ACC Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
T1 – Syracuse, 269 (6 first-place votes)
T1 – Wake Forest, 269 (5 first-place votes)
3 – Notre Dame, 234
4 – Virginia, 216 (3 first-place votes)
5 – Louisville, 214 (1 first-place vote)
6 – Virginia Tech, 210 (1 first-place vote)
7 – Stanford, 209
8 – North Carolina, 206 (1 first-place vote)
9 – Duke, 152
10 – NC State, 133
11 – Florida State, 108
12 – Pitt, 107
13 – Georgia Tech, 81
14 – Clemson, 68
15 – Boston College, 65
16 – California, 42
17 – Miami, 18
2026 ACC Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
1 – NC State, 324 (18 first-place votes)
2 – Notre Dame, 305
3 – North Carolina, 271
4 – Stanford, 270
5 – Virginia, 253
6 – Duke, 219
7 – Boston College, 206
8 – Wake Forest, 203
9 – Virginia Tech, 191
10 – Clemson, 169
11 – Florida State, 136
12 – Louisville, 131
13 – Syracuse, 124
14 – SMU, 91
15 – California, 64
16 – Pitt, 55
17 – Georgia Tech, 47
18 – Miami, 19
For the latest information on Louisville Track & Field/Cross Country, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram and X account at @louisvilletfxc or on Facebook at facebook.com/TFXC.
