https://bearcatsports.com/news/2019/8/26/football-preseason-afca-poll-tabs-northwest-at-no-6.aspx
WACO, TEX.– Fresh off of their fourth national championship in the last 14 years, Valdosta State (Ga.) is the preseason No. 1-ranked team in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Blazers, who went 14-0 in 2018, start their season off at Albany State (Ga.) on September 7. This is the fourth time Valdosta State has begun the season at No. 1 in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Poll since it began in 2000. National runner-up from a year ago, Ferris State (Mich.), sits in the No. 2 spot. The Bulldogs are followed by No. 3 Minnesota State, No. 4 Notre Dame (Ohio) and No. 5 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.).
The Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats come in at No. 6 in the preseason AFCA poll. Northwest is the winningest NCAA Div. II program of this decade from 2010-2018. Northwest is 107-16 for an .870 winning percentage since 2010. The Bearcats have been ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Div. II Top 25 poll 38 times since the start of the 2010 season.
There are two Top 25 matchups in the first week of action, with the first being a big game in the Great American Conference. No. 5 Ouachita Baptist plays host to No. 18 Harding (Ark.) on Thursday, September 5. The second game is a good regional matchup as No. 16 Indianapolis (Ind.) travels to No. 23 Ashland (Ohio).
2019 American Football Coaches Association Preseason Division II Coaches’ Poll – August 26, 2019
2018 2018
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Rank* Season Opener Head Coach
1. Valdosta St. (Ga.) (29) 14-0 792 1 Sept. 7 at Albany St. (Ga.) Gary Goff
2. Ferris St. (Mich.) (3) 15-1 768 2 Sept. 5 vs. Findlay (Ohio) Tony Annese
3. Minnesota St. 13-1 686 3 Sept. 7 at Southwest Minnesota St. Todd Hoffner
4. Notre Dame (Ohio) 13-1 623 4 Sept. 7 vs. Concord (W.Va.) Mike Jacobs
5. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 12-1 585 6 Sept. 5 vs. No. 18 Harding (Ark.) Todd Knight
6. Northwest Missouri St. 10-3 580 10 Sept. 5 at Missouri Western St. Rich Wright
7. Tarleton St. (Texas) 12-1 549 5 Sept. 7 at Stephen F. Austin (Texas) Todd Whitten
8. Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 12-2 524 8 Sept. 7 vs. St. Augustine’s (N.C.) Drew Cronic
9. Colorado St.-Pueblo 11-2 463 7 Sept. 7 at Dixie St. (Utah) John Wristen
10. Slippery Rock (Pa.) 11-3 446 12 Sept. 5 at Wayne St. (Mich.) Shawn Lutz
11. Fort Hays St. (Kan.) 9-3 419 22 Sept. 5 at Central Missouri Chris Brown
12. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 10-2 418 14 Sept. 7 vs. Edinboro (Pa.) Matt Mitchell
13. Texas A&M-Commerce 10-3 385 9 Sept. 7 vs. Seleccion Nuevo Leon (Mexico) David Bailiff
14. Minnesota-Duluth 11-1 342 13 Sept. 5 vs. Minot St. (N.D.) Curt Wiese
15. West Georgia 10-2 330 16 Sept. 7 at Catawba (N.C.) David Dean
16. Indianapolis (Ind.) 10-2 319 11 Sept. 5 at No. 23 Ashland (Ohio) Chris Keevers
17. Colorado School of Mines 10-2 288 18 Sept. 7 at Adams St. (Colo.) Gregg Brandon
18. Harding (Ark.) 9-3 223 20 Sept. 5 at No. 5 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) Paul Simmons
19. Hillsdale (Mich.) 10-3 220 15 Sept. 7 vs. Michigan Tech Keith Otterbein
20. Midwestern St. (Texas) 8-2 214 25 Sept. 7 at Northwestern St. (La.) Bill Maskill
21. Wingate (N.C.) 9-4 175 24 Sept. 5 at Johnson C. Smith (N.C.) Joe Reich
22. West Chester (Pa.) 10-1 134 17 Sept. 7 vs. Bentley (Mass.) Bill Zwaan
23. Ashland (Ohio) 6-4 129 NR Sept. 5 vs. No. 16 Indianapolis (Ind.) Lee Owens
24. West Alabama 8-4 116 NR Sept. 7 vs. Limestone (S.C.) Brett Gilliland
25. Fairmont St. (W.Va.) 9-2 78 NR Sept. 5 at Charleston (W.Va.) Jason Woodman
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2018
Others Receiving Votes: Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 71; Indiana (Pa.), 68; Bowie St. (Md.), 66; New Haven (Conn.), 65; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 65; West Florida, 42; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 25; Virginia Union, 21; California (Pa.), 19; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 19; Central Missouri, 15; Albany St. (Ga.), 14; Southern Arkansas, 14; Augustana (S.D.), 12; Emporia St. (Kan.), 11; Florida Tech, 10; Central Oklahoma, 9; Chadron St. (Neb.), 8; Central Washington, 7; Ohio Dominican, 7; Winona St. (Minn.), 6; Assumption (Mass.), 5; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 5; Angelo St. (Texas), 2; Kutztown (Pa.), 2; Shepherd (W.Va.), 2; Colorado Mesa, 1; Findlay (Ohio), 1; Lindenwood (Mo.), 1; Missouri S&T, 1.
For more information on the AFCA and its programs, visit www.afca.com or follow us on Twitter @WeAreAFCA.