The SUNY Cortland men's soccer team is ranked 11th in the United Soccer Coaches Division III preseason national poll. This is the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Red Dragons have been nationally ranked entering the year. 
 
Cortland finished 14-1-6 overall and claimed the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) regular-season title in 2025. The Red Dragons reached the NCAA "Sweet 16" for the fourth time in the last five years after a 1-0 double overtime win over Delhi and a 2-1 win over Catholic in the opening two rounds of the NCAA tournament. Cortland fell on penalty kicks following a 2-2 tie against Augsburg in the third round to tie for ninth place nationally.
 
Cortland returns graduate student goalkeeper Jordan Ott (Fort Worth, TX/Southwest Christian), who was a fourth team All-America selection, a first team all-region honoree, and the SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2025. Other returning all-region selections from last season include senior defender Dylan Pederson (Earlswood, England/Reigate), senior midfielder Sam LaMendola (Buffalo/Williamsville South), and senior defender Christian Napolitano (Massapequa).
 
The Red Dragons begin the season at home on Sept. 1 versus Rochester, and start SUNYAC play on Sept. 30 at Buffalo State. Cortland's schedule features four contests against teams that qualified for the national tournament last season: home games against nationally 17th-ranked Scranton on Sept. 19 and against nationally 23rd-ranked UMass Boston on Oct. 12, and road contests at St. Joseph's of Long Island on Sept. 5 and at Hobart on Oct. 4.