South Dakota State Cracks Top 25 in Pair of FCS Pre-Season Polls
Four straight playoff appearances have solidified South Dakota State as a top ten team in the nation, at least according to Football Championship Series (FCS) media and sports information directors.
The Jackrabbits, who return 15 starters from last season's 8-4 team, check in at number eight in the pre-season STATS FCS rankings. Fellow Missouri Valley Conference teams North Dakota State (1st) and Northern Iowa (5th) are ranked ahead of SDSU. Illinois State (10th) and Western Illinois (20th) are also in the top 25.
South Dakota grabbed 17 points in the voting.
STATS FCS Poll
- North Dakota State
- Sam Houston State
- Jacksonville State
- Richmond
- Northern Iowa
- Chattanooga
- Charleston Southern
- South Dakota State
- William & Mary
- Illinois State
- McNeese State
- James Madison
- Montana
- Eastern Washington
- Citadel
- Coastal Carolina
- Portland State
- Northern Arizona
- North Dakota
- Western Illinois
- Colgate
- New Hampshire
- Villanova
- Towson
- North Carolina A&T
In the FCS Coaches Poll, SDSU is 14th, one of five MFC ranked schools. For the second straight year, NDSU is a unanimous pre-season #1, after winning the last five national championships.
USD grabbed three points in the coaches poll.
The Big Sky Conference has six teams in the top 25, the Colonial Athletic Association has four.
2016 Preseason FCS Coaches Poll
- North Dakota State
- Sam Houston State
- Jacksonville State
- Richmond
- Northern Iowa
- Charleston Southern
- Chattanooga
- Illinois State
- McNeese State
- William & Mary
- James Madison
- Portland State
- Montana
- South Dakota State
- The Citadel
- Colgate
- Eastern Washington
- Northern Arizona
- Harvard
- Fordham
- North Dakota
- Villanova
- Southern Utah
- Western Illinois
- North Carolina A&T