BOSTON – Following a tight championship victory during the indoor track & field season, the UMass Lowell men were picked first by a single point in the 2026 Men’s #AETF Outdoor Preseason Poll, released on Thursday afternoon.
UMass Lowell won its third indoor championship last month on the final relay of the championship and secured five first place votes in the outdoor preseason poll for 60 total points.
UAlbany took home the remaining three first place votes and had 59 total points to finish right behind the River Hawks. The two programs have each won the outdoor championship twice in the past four years. UMBC placed third with 50 points, while Binghamton was fourth with 45 points and Maine rounded out the top five with 32 points.
2026 Men’s Outdoor #AETF Preseason Poll
| 1. UMass Lowell |
60 (5) |
| 2. UAlbany |
59 (3) |
| 3. UMBC |
50 |
| 4. Binghamton |
45 |
| 5. Maine |
32 |
| T6. NJIT |
24 |
| T6. New Hampshire |
24 |
| 8. Bryant |
21 |
| 9. Vermont |
9 |
The 2025-26 outdoor season gets underway in full force this weekend as eight of nine programs compete between Thursday-Sunday.
The 2026 #AETF Outdoor Championship will be held Friday, May 9 – Saturday, May 10 at UMass Lowell. The championship will be streamed on ESPN+ once again.
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