The No. 8 ranking was the Hogs’ fourth top 15 ranking in the last five years in the NFCA/GoRout preseason poll. Arkansas was previously ranked 14th in 2025, 16th in 2024, seventh in 2023, and eighth in 2022. It marks the eighth consecutive season that the Razorbacks have appeared in the NFCA/GoRout Preseason Top 25 Poll.

Arkansas opens its 30th season of play and 11th season under the direction of head coach Courtney Deifel in Conway, S.C., at the Kickin’ Chicken Classic (Feb. 6-8). The Razorbacks will commence the season by facing Virginia (9 a.m.) and Akron (11:30 a.m.) on Friday, Feb. 6. The Hogs are coming off a 44-14 mark in 2025, which featured their eighth-consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and fourth NCAA Super Regional appearance in program history, all of which have come under Deifel’s guidance

The Hogs return 349 total starts and 99.7 percent of Innings pitched from a year ago, headlined by sophomore infielder Ella McDowell (58 starts, .352 avg., 10 2B, 7 HR, 54 RBI, .425 OBP), senior left-handed pitcher Robyn Herron (24 starts, 2.72 ERA, 18-7, 160 K), sophomore right-handed pitcher Payton Burnham (20 starts, 2.62 ERA, 16-2, 94 K) and senior center fielder Reagan Johnson (58 starts, .351 avg., 72 H, 20 SB, 53 R, .427 OBP). The Razorbacks also added a pair of transfers in two-time third-team NFCA All-America Dakota Kennedy in left field and two-time all-conference selection Tianna Bell at first base.

The NFCA/GoRout DI Preseason Poll is among four nationally recognized polls in division I College Softball. Arkansas previously checked in at No. 7 in the Softball America Preseason Poll and No. 8 in both the USA Softball/ESPN and D1Softball Preseason Polls last week.

For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on X, Instagram and Facebook.

2026 NFCA/GoRout Preseason Top 25 Poll

1.         Texas (21)

2.         Texas Tech (10)

3.         Oklahoma

4.         Tennessee

5.         Oregon

6.         Florida

7.         UCLA

8.         Florida State

9.         Arkansas

10.       Nebraska

11.       Texas A&M

12.       South Carolina

13.       Clemson

14.       Ole Miss

15.       Alabama

16.       LSU

17.       Arizona

18.       Stanford

19.       Virginia Tech

20.       Georgia

21.       Liberty

22.       Mississippi State

23.       Duke

24.       Oklahoma State

25.       Ohio State

Receiving Votes: Virginia (24), Grand Canyon (23), Southeastern Louisiana (13), Florida Atlantic (7), Auburn (6), Michigan (6), Arizona State (1), North Florida (1).