Fresh off its National Championship run last season, Youngstown State's bowling program was slotted fourth in the National Tenpin Coaches Association Preseason Poll for the 2025-26 campaign. The organization announced the poll results on Wednesday.

YSU was voted first on 16 of the 44 submitted ballots, the most of any team, and it collected 1,633 total points in the poll. That was behind defending national runner-up Jacksonville State, which received 14 first-place votes and 1,777 points, Nebraska (1,702 points) and Vanderbilt (1,680 points). Youngstown State has seven newcomers on this year's team to replace six seniors and a junior who led the Penguins to the program's first national title in 2024-25.

The fourth-place ranking is the second-highest for YSU in a preseason poll, trailing only the third-place ranking before the 2024-25 season.

Conference USA teams occupy the top six positions and nine of the top 11 lines in the preseason poll. In addition to the top four teams, Wichita State was voted fifth, Arkansas State was sixth, Sam Houston was eighth, Louisiana Tech was ninth, and Sacred Heart was 11th. No. 2 Nebraska and No. 11 Sacred Heart are newcomers to the conference, joining the group of power teams after competing as independents. Additionally, Conference USA teams occupy the 19th through 21st positions with Tulane, fellow newcomer Wright State and Valparaiso, respectively.

North Carolina A&T, which YSU outlasted to win the Rochester Regional in 2024-25, is seventh in the preseason poll, and Maryville is 10th.

Youngstown State will begin the 2025-26 season on Oct. 17 with its annual home tournament at Holiday Bowl in Struthers, Ohio.