CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Nebraska Wesleyan football was voted to finish seventh in the American Rivers Conference, the league announced Friday.

The Prairie Wolves received 10 points in the 2026 A-R-C Preseason Coaches Poll. NWU finished just one point ahead of Buena Vista for seventh place.

Wartburg led the poll with 49 points and seven first-place votes, followed by Coe (42), Central (38), Dubuque (29), Simpson (27) and Loras (20). Buena Vista rounded out the poll with nine points.

NWU returns 48 letterwinners and 14 starters from its 2025 roster. The Prairie Wolves finished the 2025 season with a 1-9 overall record and a 1-7 mark in A-R-C play.

The Prairie Wolves, led by first-year Head Coach Jacob Donohoe, added 31 newcomers for the 2026 campaign, including five transfers and 26 incoming freshmen. The 2026 roster is represented by 93 players from 15 states.

The Prairie Wolves return a pair of first-team All-A-R-C selections and third-team D3football.com All-Region honorees from a year ago in Joey McLaughlin and Sam Contreras.

Entering his final season with the program, McLaughlin has tallied 75 catches for 1,100 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns across the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Contreras started all 10 games at long snapper for the Prairie Wolves in 2025. He was part of a special teams unit that ranked sixth in the A-R-C in kicking scoring with 32 points and seventh in average punt yardage at 35.7 yards. Contreras handled every punt, PAT and field goal snap for NWU last season.

Voting for the A-R-C Preseason Poll was conducted by the league's eight head coaches.

A-R-C Football Preseason Poll 
1. Wartburg College - 49 (7)
2. Coe College - 42
3. Central College - 38
4. University of Dubuque - 29
5. Simpson College - 27
6. Loras College - 20
7. Nebraska Wesleyan University - 10
8.  Buena Vista University - 9