For the second consecutive year, the Central Bible University men's soccer team is headed to Florida to compete for a national championship.

The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) announced the eight-team field for the 2026 Division II Men's Soccer National Championship on Thursday, with the Saints earning the No. 7 seed after capturing their second straight Central Region championship.

The national tournament will take place November 16-21 at Austin-Tindall Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Fla., marking the third national tournament appearance in program history and the second consecutive trip under third-year head coach Chase Gwynn.

Central Bible punched its ticket to the national tournament last Friday with a dramatic victory over top-seeded Barclay College in the NCCAA Central Region championship match. After battling to a 1-1 draw through regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods, the second-seeded Saints prevailed 5-4 in a penalty-kick shootout to secure the regional title.

The victory continued an impressive run for the Saints, who have established themselves as a consistent contender in the Central Region after returning to the national stage last season for the first time since 2008. They enter this year's championships with a 9-7-4 record.

A year ago, Central Bible entered the national tournament as the No. 5 seed following a remarkable turnaround season. The Saints opened pool play with a 3-2 victory over Boyce College, the previous year's national runner-up, before dropping their final two matches. Central finished the 2025 campaign with a 17-4-2 record, establishing one of the most successful seasons in program history.

2026 National Championship Field

The Saints will compete in Pool B alongside No. 2 Randall University, No. 3 Boyce College and No. 6 Crown College. The four-team pool features three regional champions, including Central Bible, Randall and Boyce.

Central will open tournament play on Monday, November 16, against second-seeded Randall University at 12 p.m. The Saints will return to action Tuesday, November 17, against No. 3 Boyce College at 2:30 p.m. before concluding pool play Thursday, November 19, against No. 6 Crown College at 2:30 p.m.

The meeting with Boyce will be a rematch of last year's national tournament opener, when the Saints defeated the Bulldogs 3-2 in Kissimmee.

Central Bible University Pool Play Schedule

• Monday, November 16 — 12 p.m. CT: No. 7 Central Bible vs. No. 2 Randall University (Field 5)

• Tuesday, November 17 — 2:30 p.m. CT: No. 7 Central Bible vs. No. 3 Boyce College (Field 3)

• Thursday, November 19 — 2:30 p.m. CT: No. 7 Central Bible vs. No. 6 Crown College (Field 3)

All three pool play matches will be available to watch live on the NCCAA Network, with live statistics provided through the NCCAA website.

The eight-team championship field is divided into two pools:

Bob Jones, Randall, Boyce, Crown, Central Bible and Great Lakes earned automatic berths as regional champions, while Grace Christian and Toccoa Falls received at-large selections.

The winners of Pool A and Pool B will advance to the national championship match on Saturday, November 21, at 5 p.m.

Building on Last Year's Success

The return to the national tournament represents another milestone for a program that has experienced a significant transformation under Gwynn.

After finishing 1-13-3 in 2024, the Saints rebounded with 17 victories in 2025, including a 17-match unbeaten streak and championships in both the Midwest Christian College Conference and NCCAA Central Region tournaments.

Now, with consecutive regional championships and national tournament appearances, Central Bible will look to build upon last season's experience against another competitive national field.

Beyond the competition, participating student-athletes will take part in a Christian service project benefiting Living Hope International, an organization serving at-risk children, incarcerated individuals and people experiencing homelessness. Athletes will contribute toys, while each participating team has been asked to donate children's and adult socks to support the outreach initiative.

The national tournament will once again provide the Saints an opportunity to represent Central Bible University on the national stage while continuing the program's pursuit of its first NCCAA Division II national championship.

Watch Live: https://www.nccaanetwork.com/

Live Statistics: https://thenccaa.org/sidearmstats/msoc2/summary