Notre Dame Remains on National Radar in United Soccer Coaches Women’s Rankings
Notre Dame remains Indiana’s leading presence in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I women’s soccer rankings as the Fighting Irish continue an unusual unbeaten start to the 2026 season.
The Fighting Irish are ranked No. 9 in the Atlantic Region in the latest United Soccer Coaches regional rankings released September 8.
Notre Dame sits at 2-0-5, meaning the Irish have yet to suffer a loss through their first seven matches of the season, but five draws have slowed what began as one of the highest-ranked teams in the country.
Notre Dame entered the 2026 season with enormous expectations.
The Fighting Irish were ranked No. 2 nationally in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, receiving six first-place votes and finishing just two points behind preseason No. 1 Stanford.
Notre Dame remained inside the Top 10 when the first regular-season poll was released August 18, checking in at No. 8 after beginning the season with consecutive draws.
The Irish then slipped to No. 25 on August 25 before falling outside the Top 25 in the September 1 rankings.
Notre Dame’s Poll Progression
| Poll | National Ranking | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Preseason | #2 | 15-2-3 in 2025 |
| Aug. 18 | #8 | 0-0-2 |
| Aug. 25 | #25 | 1-0-3 |
| Sept. 1 | Receiving Votes | — |
| Sept. 8 | Receiving Votes | 2-0-5 |
While Notre Dame’s national ranking has fallen considerably from its preseason position, the Irish haven’t actually lost a match.
That’s what makes their early-season résumé unusual.
Notre Dame is 2-0-5, with five of its first seven matches ending in draws.
The Irish’s unbeaten record has kept Notre Dame among the top programs in its region.
In the September 8 Atlantic Region rankings, Stanford is No. 1, followed by Wake Forest, Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida State, Clemson and Virginia Tech.
Notre Dame checks in at No. 9, with Louisville completing the regional Top 10.
Notre Dame currently provides the strongest United Soccer Coaches rankings storyline among Indiana’s NCAA Division I women’s programs.
Indiana’s Division I women’s soccer programs include Ball State, Butler, Evansville, Indiana, Indiana State, IU Indianapolis, Notre Dame, Purdue and Purdue Fort Wayne.
None of Indiana’s Big Ten programs appear in the September 8 North Region Top 10.
That North Region is led by Michigan State, followed by Ohio State, Washington, Wisconsin and UCLA.
For Notre Dame, however, the next step is straightforward: turn some of those draws into victories.
The Irish remain unbeaten and ranked among the Atlantic Region’s Top 10, but after beginning the season No. 2 nationally, Notre Dame will be looking to build enough momentum to climb back into the United Soccer Coaches national Top 25.