ROME, Ga.  The USA South Athletic Conference office released its 2026 men's tennis preseason poll on Wednesday, which included a second-place prediction for Methodist as the Monarchs received one first-place vote and a total of 20 points from votes cast by the league's head coaches. Coaches cannot vote for their own team in the balloting.
 
Six schools will represent the USA South in men's tennis competition this spring, with the poll suggesting that coaches expect North Carolina Wesleyan University to earn its 17th consecutive conference championship. The Battling Bishops garnered five first-place votes and 25 points overall.
 
In third place, Pfeiffer University finished with 18 total points, while Southern Virginia University tallied 12 points to take fourth.
 
Brevard College collected eight points, which was enough for fifth place in the poll, while William Peace University rounds out the field with six points.
 
The 2026 USA South Men's Tennis Tournament will occur exclusively on the campus of North Carolina Wesleyan, with just the top four teams in the conference standings advancing to compete in the two-day event. The tournament will take place on Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25.