The wait is finally over. College dodgeball is back, and the Michigan region is ready to get things rolling.
A new season means new teams, new faces, new rivalries, and another year of chaos on the court. The offseason is officially behind us, the balls are back in the gyms, and it’s time to find out who came ready to compete.
Michigan State
2026 Record: 23-0
2026 Nationals Finish: National Champions
Pre-Season Power Ranking: #1
In the words of the great Conor McGregor: “Surprise, surprise… the king is back.” The Spartans ended the 2025–26 season by reclaiming their spot atop the College Dodgeball world, rolling to a perfect 23–0 record along the way.
Preseason Coaches of the Year Kevin and Becca Nguyen will have their work cut out for them this season, as Michigan State loses the top two players from last year’s All-American team in Matt Barriball and Alex Edson. Replacing that level of production won’t be easy, but the Spartans have plenty of talent waiting in the wings.
Jake Smith and Luke Foco will headline this year’s squad as Michigan State looks to repeat as both Michigan Dodgeball Cup and National Champions. In many ways, the Spartans will go as far as these two can take them. How far that is remains to be seen, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that counting out Michigan State is a dangerous game.
Grand Valley State
2026 Record: 18-7
2026 Nationals Finish: Final Four
Pre-Season Power Ranking: #7
Grand Valley finished last season with a Final Four loss to Michigan State, but the Lakers enter this season with plenty of questions to answer. GV has had a difficult time keeping some of its top recruits in the program, and I’ll be interested to see what head coach Kevin Bailey can do to change that.
Once a perennial league powerhouse, Grand Valley is finding itself becoming closer and closer to an average NCDA team. The Lakers no longer strike the same fear into opponents that they once did, and they’ll need to find a way to regain that edge if they want to return to the top of the NCDA.
Alden Schulte is one of the few key returners and will be asked to lead the way for Grand Valley this season. If the Lakers can recruit well and retain some upcoming players from past seasons, GV has a chance to make some noise.
Central Michigan
2026 Record: 3-15
2026 Nationals Finish: Did not qualify for championship bracket
Pre-Season Power Ranking: #18
Central Michigan is still finding its footing after returning to the NCDA following the COVID hiatus. At this point, it’s time for the Chippewas to stop treading water and prove they can compete with, and beat, the established programs in the region.
Pierce Hansen will captain the team and lead the Chippewas on the court this season. But for CMU to take the next step, they’ll need to do more than rely on their veteran leadership. Recruiting and, perhaps more importantly, retaining athletes will be crucial to building the depth necessary to compete at a high level.
A realistic goal for the Chippewas this season should be qualifying for the Championship Bracket at Nationals. Getting there would be a major step forward for a program that is still working to reestablish itself in the post-COVID NCDA landscape.
Western Michigan
2026 Record: 0-10
2026 Nationals Finish: Did not qualify for championship bracket
Pre-Season Power Ranking: #23
There isn’t much to say about Western Michigan heading into this season. The Broncos are coming off an 0–10 campaign, and the program desperately needs to regroup.
The biggest question is leadership. Someone will need to step up and take ownership of this team if Western wants to keep the program alive and begin rebuilding. The talent and depth will have to follow, but establishing strong leadership should be the first priority.
On the bright side, at least WMU athletics has a new logo this year.