NEW HAVEN, Conn. (October 21, 2025) – Dominican University New York has been selected for first place in the 2025-26 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll. The voting was conducted by the conference’s 11 head coaches and the results were announced today by CACC Commissioner Dan Mara.
For the first time in a full season since the 2006-07 campaign, the CACC men’s basketball regular-season will not be contested in a divisional format. The conference’s 11 teams will play a double round-robin schedule. Each school will have 20 league games, and the top eight teams in the standings at season’s end will qualify for the CACC Championship tournament.
Dominican (21-9, 14-2 CACC in 2024-25) won the CACC North Division regular-season championship a year ago and was an at-large qualifier to the 2025 NCAA Division II East Region Championship tournament. The Chargers received five first-place votes and 89 total points in the poll. Five different schools garnered at least one first-place vote.
Thomas Jefferson University was selected for second place with 84 points, followed by Post University in third (76 points) and the University of Bridgeport in fourth (69 points). Jefferson was the 2025 CACC South Division regular-season champion, while Bridgeport defeated Post in the conference final. Post secured one first-place vote in this year’s poll and the Purple Knights received a pair.
Caldwell University claimed two first-place votes and was chosen for fifth place with 63 points. The final first-place vote went to Wilmington University, which tied for sixth place with Chestnut Hill College at 45 points. The No. 8 spot in the poll went to Felician University at 45 points. Rounding out the balloting were Goldey-Beacom College (40 points), Georgian Court University (21), and Holy Family University (20).
The 2025-26 regular season begins on Friday, November 14, with conference action slated to start on Tuesday, November 25. The CACC Tournament quarterfinals will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at campus sites, and Caldwell will host the semifinals and finals on March 7-8, 2026, at the George R. Newman Center. The CACC champion will automatically qualify for the 2026 NCAA Division II East Region Championship.
2025-26 CACC MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1. Dominican University New York (5) 89 pts
2. Thomas Jefferson University 84
3. Post University (1) 76
4. University of Bridgeport (2) 69
5. Caldwell University (2) 63
6. Chestnut Hill College 49
Wilmington University (1) 49
8. Felician University 45
9. Goldey-Beacom College 40
10. Georgian Court University 21
11. Holy Family University 20
Founded in 1961, the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference has been affiliated with NCAA Division II for 20 years. Conference institutions compete for championships in 17 sports – seven for men, nine for women, and one co-ed. The CACC contains 11 full members in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Membership includes the University of Bridgeport, Caldwell University, Chestnut Hill College, Dominican University New York, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University, Post University, Thomas Jefferson University, and Wilmington University.