MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University rifle team will open the 2023-24 season as the top-ranked team in the nation, earning the No. 1 spot from the Preseason Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) poll, the organization announced.  
The Mountaineers were last slotted at the top of the rankings last season on Nov. 22, 2022.
 
West Virginia finished in fifth place at last year’s NCAA National Championship while collecting the program’s 14th Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) Tournament Title.
 
No. 2 TCU, No. 3 Kentucky, No. 4 Ole Miss and No. 5 Alaska-Fairbanks follow behind and rounded out the top five. Joining WVU, Kentucky and Ole Miss in the poll from the GARC is No. 8 Memphis, No. 10 Navy, No. 11 Akron and No. 14 Army.
 
WVU is set to open the season in Morgantown on Saturday, Oct. 7, when they square off against No. 11 Akron, at the Bill McKenzie Mobile Rifle Range inside the WVU Shell Building. Saturday’s match against the Zips is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET.