Wabash received four first-place votes and a total of 70 points to rank second out of nine teams in the 2022 North Coast Athletic Conference Preseason Football Coaches Poll.
 
The Little Giant picked up four of the nine available first-place votes from the conference coaches. DePauw received three first-place votes and 72 points to top the preseason rankings. Wittenberg got one first-place vote and 58 points to finish third in the poll. Ohio Wesleyan ranked fourth overall with 56 points. Denison picked up the final first-place vote and ranked fifth with 55 points. Wooster received 39 points for sixth place, followed by Kenyon (23 points), Oberlin (19 points), and Hiram (13 points).
 
Wabash returns 32 varsity letter-winners and 16 starters from its 2021 squad. First Team All-NCAC quarterback and 2021 NCAC Offensive Player of the Year Liam Thompson threw for 2,956 yards and 28 TDs last season and ran for 412 yards and nine scores to earn All-Region 4 honors from D3football.com. Cooper Sullivan also earned First Team All-NCAC and All-Region 4 honors after leading the Wabash receiving corps with 57 catches for 850 yards and seven TDs. Donovan Snyder received First Team All-NCAC honors as the league's top rusher in 2021. Snyder ran for 1,023 yards and eight touchdowns. Will Netting was named to the All-NCAC Honorable Mention Team in 2021 after recording 56 tackles and one interception at safety for the Little Giants' defense.
 
Wabash opens the 2022 football season on September 3 at home against Hampden-Sydney College in a renewal of The Gentlemen's Classic. The Little Giants play national powerhouse North Central College at home on September 10 before opening the NCAC portion of the schedule at Wooster on September 17.