The Bradley men’s and women’s cross country teams have been picked to win the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference championship crowns in a poll of the league’s 11 head coaches.
 
In each poll, the Braves received all 11 first-place votes and 121 total points, while Illinois State was picked to win second in each gender, earning 106 total points on the men’s side and 110 points in the women’s poll. The Drake men are projected to finish third at this year’s championship, receiving 94 points in the poll, while the Indiana State women were picked behind the Redbirds with 96 points.
 
The 2026 MVC Cross Country Championships, presented by Catch Des Moines and hosted by Drake, are set for Friday, October 30, at A.H. Blank Golf Course in Des Moines, Iowa. The women’s 6K race begins at 10:30 a.m. CT, while the men’s 8K event is slated for 11:30 a.m. CT. For more information, visit Championship Central on the MVC website.