CLEVELAND - The 2010 season will kickoff in less than a month and the Delta State University Statesmen football team will open the year ranked No. 24 in the American Football Coaches' Association Preseason Top 25 Poll, as released by the AFCA on Monday.
"We're pleased to be on the AFCA radar, but there's an awful lot of work to do before we start worrying about rankings or polls," Ron Roberts, DSU head coach stated.
The Statesmen, who finished last year 5-5 overall and 4-4 in Gulf South Conference play, were among three GSC teams in the top 25. North Alabama, the defending GSC champions, came in at No. 3 with West Alabama sliding in the poll at No. 12, the highest preseason for the Tigers since joining NCAA Division II.
Valdosta State, Arkansas Tech, Ouachita Baptist and Henderson State were all among teams receiving votes. The complete poll is listed below.
|
Rank
|
School (1st votes)
|
2009 Rec.
|
Pts.
|
2009 Rank*
|
Season Opener
|
Head Coach
|
|
1.
|
Northwest Missouri St. (22)
|
14-1
|
645
|
1
|
Sept. 2 vs. No. 16 Texas A&M-Kingsville
|
Mel Tjeerdsma
|
|
2.
|
Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (3)
|
13-2
|
621
|
2
|
Sept. 2 vs. No. 11 West Texas A&M
|
Matt Mitchell
|
|
3.
|
North Alabama (1)
|
11-2
|
580
|
6
|
Sept. 4 vs. Henderson St. (Ark.)
|
Terry Bowden
|
|
4.
|
Minnesota-Duluth
|
11-2
|
549
|
5
|
Aug. 28 at No. 5 Central Washington
|
Bob Nielson
|
|
5.
|
Central Washington
|
12-1
|
499
|
3
|
Aug. 28 vs. No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth
|
Blaine Bennett
|
|
6.
|
California (Pa.)
|
11-4
|
489
|
7
|
Sept. 4 at No. 14 Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.)
|
John Luckhardt
|
|
7.
|
Abilene Christian (Texas)
|
9-4
|
435
|
13
|
Sept. 4 at No. 10 Washburn (Kan.)
|
Chris Thomsen
|
|
8.
|
West Liberty (W.Va.)
|
11-2
|
420
|
9
|
Sept. 4 vs. Edinboro (Pa.)
|
Roger Waialae
|
|
9.
|
Carson-Newman (Tenn.)
|
11-3
|
400
|
4
|
Aug. 28 vs. Winona St. (Minn.)
|
Ken Sparks
|
|
10.
|
Washburn (Kan.)
|
8-3
|
339
|
25
|
Aug. 28 at Colorado School of Mines
|
Craig Schurig
|
|
11.
|
West Texas A&M
|
7-5
|
337
|
NR
|
Sept. 2 at No. 2 Grand Valley St. (Mich.)
|
Don Carthel
|
|
12.
|
West Alabama
|
8-5
|
313
|
21
|
Aug. 28 vs. Shorter (Ga.)
|
Bobby Wallace
|
|
13.
|
Nebraska-Kearney
|
11-2
|
296
|
8
|
Aug. 28 vs. Wayne St. (Neb.)
|
Darrell Morris
|
|
14.
|
Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.)
|
9-3
|
235
|
19
|
Sept. 4 vs. No. 6 California (Pa.)
|
Jim Collins
|
|
15.
|
Nebraska-Omaha
|
7-5
|
232
|
NR
|
Sept. 4 vs. No. 13 Nebraska-Kearney
|
Pat Behrns
|
|
16.
|
Texas A&M-Kingsville
|
9-3
|
216
|
16
|
Sept. 2 at No. 1 Northwest Missouri St.
|
Bo Atterberry
|
|
17.
|
Tuskegee (Ala.)
|
10-2
|
210
|
17
|
Sept. 4 vs. Benedict (S.C.)
|
Willie Slater
|
|
18.
|
Hillsdale (Mich.)
|
10-3
|
188
|
11
|
Sept. 3 vs. Ferris St. (Mich.)
|
Keith Otterbein
|
|
19.
|
Midwestern St. (Texas)
|
9-3
|
163
|
14
|
Sept. 2 at New Mexico Highlands
|
Bill Maskill
|
|
20.
|
Missouri Western St.
|
9-3
|
160
|
NR
|
Sept. 2 vs. Mesa St. (Colo.)
|
Jerry Partridge
|
|
21.
|
Minnesota St.-Mankato
|
10-2
|
127
|
12
|
Sept. 2 vs. Northern Michigan
|
Todd Hoffner
|
|
22.
|
West Chester (Pa.)
|
7-4
|
122
|
NR
|
Sept. 2 at Delaware
|
Bill Zwaan
|
|
23.
|
North Carolina-Pembroke
|
9-2
|
115
|
20
|
Sept. 4 vs. Fayetteville St. (N.C.)
|
Pete Shinnick
|
|
24.
|
Delta St. (Miss.)
|
5-5
|
93
|
NR
|
Sept. 4 at Jackson St. (Miss.)
|
Ron Roberts
|
|
25.
|
East Stroudsburg (Pa.)
|
8-4
|
74
|
NR
|
Sept. 4 at Pace (N.Y.)
|
Denny Douds
|
Others Receiving Votes: Texas A&M-Commerce, 73; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 59; Bemidji St. (Minn.), 56; Wingate (N.C.), 49; Bloomsburg (Pa.), 34; Tarleton St. (Texas), 32; Albany St. (Ga.), 30; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 28; Colorado School of Mines, 27; St. Cloud State (Minn.), 17; Benedict (S.C.), 16; Morehouse (Ga.), 15; Indiana (Pa.), 14; Shaw (N.C.), 14; West Virginia St., 14; Augustana (S.D.), 13; Findlay (Ohio), 13; Winona St. (Minn.), 13; Central Missouri, 11; Charleston (W.Va.), 11; Shippensburg (Pa.), 11; Angelo St. (Texas), 9; Shepherd (W.Va.), 9; Bentley (Mass.), 8; Chadron St. (Neb.), 6; Southern Connecticut St., 6; Arkansas Tech, 4; Southeastern Oklahoma St., 4; Edinboro (Pa.), 3; C.W. Post (N.Y.), 2; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 1; Henderson St. (Ark.), 1; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 1; Wayne St. (Neb.), 1; Western Oregon, 1.
