Spartanburg, S.C. -- Three-time defending FCS national champion Appalachian State received more preseason praise Thursday as the Mountaineers were selected the unanimous number one team in the country in the FCS Coaches Preseason Poll. ASU received all 24 first-place votes in collecting 600 total points.

 

After a 10-1 record in its final season in the Great West Conference, North Dakota State, now in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, came in at No. 2. Rounding out the top 10 were James Madison, Northern Iowa, Massachusetts, 2007 FCS semifinalist Richmond, Montana, 2007 FCS runner-up Delaware, Eastern Washington and McNeese State.

 

Three conferences dominated the polls as the newly renamed Missouri Valley Football Conference, formerly Gateway, and the Colonial Athletic Association each had six teams. The Southern Conference was close behind with five teams.

 

The MVC football teams ranked were North Dakota State (2), Northern Iowa (4), 2007 FCS semifinalist Southern Illinois (11), Youngstown State (12), South Dakota State (20) and Western Illinois (22).

 

The CAA had four teams in the top 10 with James Madison leading the way at No. 3 with Massachusetts (5), Richmond (6) and Delaware (8) also in the top 10. New Hampshire was ranked 16^th while Villanova came in at No. 19.

 

The SoCon was led by Appalachian State at No. 1, with Wofford (13), Elon (15), Georgia Southern (17) and The Citadel (23) also ranked. 

 

The FCS Coaches Poll is based exclusively on a voting panel of head coaches in the FCS under the cooperation of the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and is administered by the Southern Conference.

 

 

2008 FCS Coaches Preseason Poll (August 21, 2008)

 

Team (1^st votes)                       2007 Record                   Points                2007 Final Ranking  

1. Appalachian State (24)                 13-2                           600                                 1

2. North Dakota State                       10-1                           527                                 9

3. James Madison                            8-4                            513                                 7

4. Northern Iowa                               12-1                           508                                 5

5. Massachusetts                            10-3                           488                                 6

6. Richmond                                    11-3                           456                                 4

7. Montana                                      11-1                           444                                12

8. Delaware                                     11-4                           419                                 2

9. Eastern Washington                      9-4                            393                                 8

10. McNeese State                          11-1                           366                                11

11. Southern Illinois                          12-2                           329                                 3

12. Youngstown State                       7-4                            320                                17

13. Wofford                                      9-4                            316                                10

14. Cal Poly                                     7-4                            275                               NR

15. Elon                                           7-4                            247                                23

16. New Hampshire                           7-5                            231                                14

17. Georgia Southern                        7-4                            185                                18

18. Eastern Illinois                            8-4                            182                                15

19. Villanova                                     7-4                            148                               NR

20. South Dakota State                     7-4                            135                                22

21. Eastern Kentucky                       9-3                            105                                13

22. Western Illinois                           6-5                             67                                NR

23. The Citadel                                 7-4                             60                                NR

24. Harvard                                       8-2                             42                                 20

25. Central Arkansas                        6-5                             41                                NR

 

Other receiving votes (points in parentheses): Fordham (40), Northern Arizona (40), Delaware State (36), Liberty (33), Yale (32), Jacksonville State (30), South Carolina State (27), Sam Houston State (24), Montana State (23), Hampton (22), Hofstra (18), Furman (13), Holy Cross (9), San Diego (8), Grambling State (7), UT Martin (6), Towson (5), Coastal Carolina (5), North Dakota (5), Maine (4), Weber State (4), Jackson State (4), UC Davis (3), Dayton (2), Florida A&M (1), Prairie View A&M (1), Missouri State (1).