Bearkats Stand No. 3 In STATS FCS Preseason Poll
8/10/2015 1:52:00 PM | Football
Sam Houston stands No. 3 in the STATS FCS Top 25 preseason poll released Monday. The Bearkats were ranked No. 4 in the NCAA's FCS Coach pre-season poll last week.
The STATS FCS and NCAA FCS Coaches polls are the two most respected sets of rankings for the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. The former is voted upon by national media members who cover FCS action while the latter is decided by vote of a committee of head coaches.
Four-time national champion North Dakota State is the top pick in both polls. The Bison, who were a unanimous selection in the coaches' poll, received first place votes from 144 of the 147 members of the media committee.
Illinois State (13-2), last year's FCS runner-up, is the No. 2 selection in both polls. Illinois State received the other three first place votes from the media.
Following No. 3 Sam Houston in the STATS FCS Top 25 are Villanova (11-3) and Coastal Carolina (12-2) in the fourth and fifth spots. Rounding out the top 10 are Eastern Washington (11-3) in sixth followed by Jacksonville State (10-2), Chattanooga (10-4), New Hampshire (12-2) and Northern Iowa (9-5).
Ranked No. 11 through 20 are Montana State (8-5), James Madison (9-4), Montana (9-5), Youngstown State (7-5), Liberty (9-5), Eastern Kentucky (9-4), Richmond (9-5), Southeastern Louisiana (9-4) and Fordham (11-3).
Rounding out the poll are Indiana State (8-6), Idaho State (8-4), Harvard (10-0), Stephen F. Austin (8-5) and McNeese State (6-6).
Season tickets for Sam Houston's six home games at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium plus the 90th “Battle of the Piney Woods” are on sale now online at www.gobearkats.com or at the SHSU Athletic Ticket Office now located on the west side of Bowers Stadium.
Beginning Thursday and running for the first week of Sam Houston practice, any fan who buys a season ticket will be eligible to win a special prize in a daily season ticket holder drawing.
The complete preseason rankings for both polls are:
|
STATS FCS POLL |
FCS COACHES POLL |
|
1. North Dakota St. (3671) |
1. North Dakota St. |
|
2. Illinois St. (3423) |
2. Illinois St. |
|
3. SAM HOUSTON (3264) |
3. Villanova |
|
4. Villanova (3249) |
4. SAM HOUSTON |
|
5. Coastal Carolina (2900) |
5. Coastal Carolina |
|
6. Eastern Washington (2830) |
6. Eastern Washington |
|
7. Jacksonville St. (2705) |
7. New Hampshire |
|
8. Chattanooga (2590) |
8. Chattanooga |
|
9. New Hampshire (2570) |
9. Jacksonville St. |
|
10. Northern Iowa (2212) |
10. Northern Iowa |
|
11. Montana St. (2038) |
11. Montana St. |
|
12. James Madison (1766) |
12. Montana |
|
13. Montana (1710) |
13. James Madison |
|
14. Youngstown St. (1662) |
14. Liberty |
|
15. Liberty (1623) |
15. South Dakota St. |
|
16. South Dakota St. (1390) |
16. Youngstown St. |
|
17. Eastern Kentucky (1073) |
17. Eastern Kentucky |
|
18. Richmond (1016) |
18. Richmond |
|
19. Southeastern La. (791) |
19. Southeastern La. |
|
20. Fordham (663) |
20. Indiana St. |
|
21. Indiana St. (635) |
21. Fordham |
|
22. Idahoa St. (627) |
22. Harvard |
|
23. Harvard (620) |
23. McNeese St. |
|
24. Stephen F. Austin (554) |
24. Idaho St. |
|
25. McNeese State (440) |
25. Eastern Illinois |
