The ESPN/USA Today preseason football poll has four Southern Conference teams in the top 25 and a total of seven squads receiving votes.
Georgia Southern is ranked second by ESPN/USA Today while Appalachian State is eighth and Furman ninth. The Wofford Terriers are 16th in the poll.
The Citadel, Western Carolina and East Tennessee State also received votes.
The ESPN/USA Today Division I-AA Top 25 Pre-season college
football coaches poll, with number of first-place votes,
last year's record in parentheses, and total points:
TEAM PTS
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1. MCNEESE ST (23) (13-2) 1,389
2. GA SOUTHERN (8) (11-3) 1,311
3. MONTANA (7) (11-3) 1,288
4. WESTERN ILL (6) (11-2) 1,258
5. WESTERN KY (12) (12-3) 1,165
6. NORTHEASTERN (1) (10-3) 942
7. GRAMBLING (2) (11-2) 864
8. APPALACHIAN ST (8-4) 861
9. FURMAN (8-4) 847
10. IDAHO ST (8-3) 689
11. VILLANOVA (11-4) 688
12. BETHUNE COOKMAN (11-2) 622
13. FORDHAM (10-3) 603
14. MAINE (11-3) 573
15. MONTANA ST (7-6) 572
16. WOFFORD (9-3) 566
17. MASSACHUSETTS (8-4) 505
18. DELAWARE (6-6) 474
19. EASTERN ILL (8-4) 422
20. PENNSYLVANIA (9-1) 396
21. SE MISSOURI ST (8-4) 345
22. NICHOLLS ST (7-4) 301
23. NORTHWESTERN ST (9-4) 285
24. EASTERN KY (8-4) 233
25. GARDNER-WEBB (9-1) 205
Others Receiving Votes: SFA 181, MURRAY ST 176, COLGATE 173,
YOUNGSTOWN ST 147, LEHIGH 143, FLORIDA A&M 142, ILLINOIS ST
84, NORTHERN IOWA 80, PORTLAND ST 77, HOFSTRA 75, ALABAMA
A&M 75, JACKSON ST 51, SO CAROLINA ST 48, HARVARD 46,
NORTHRN ARIZONA 42, SOUTHERN ILL 33, EASTERN WASH 25, SMS
19, HAMPTON 17, EAST TENN ST 14, DUQUESNE 14, WILLIAM & MARY
13, ALABAMA ST 11, ALCORN ST 10, RHODE ISLAND 8, LAFAYETTE
8, HOWARD 8, WESTRN CAROLINA 7, SACRAMENTO ST 7, TENNESSEE
TECH 6, ST MARYS CA 6, RICHMOND 6, JACKSONVILLE ST 6,
SOUTHERN 4, CAL POLY 4, CITADEL 3, DAYTON 1, DARTMOUTH 1.