SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Southern Conference placed four teams in the preseason FCS Coaches Poll, released Monday (August 22). The league placed three teams in the top eight, including two in the top three of the balloting. Appalachian State was picked second while Georgia Southern was tabbed third. Wofford was selected eighth and Chattanooga came in 23rd.
Eastern Washington was selected as the No. 1 team in FCS after capturing the 2010 national title. The Mountaineers earned 617 points, narrowly edging Georgia Southern (615). The Eagles earned three of the 28 first-place votes.
The Terriers were slotted eighth after finishing the 2010 season ranked tenth. Wofford went 10-3 a season ago and shared the conference crown with ASU. Chattanooga will begin Russ Huesman's third season ranked No. 23. The Mocs finished last year at 6-5, including a 5-3 mark in league play.
William & Mary and Delaware joined Eastern Washington, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern in the top five. Montana State makes its first appearance in the preseason top 10 in past two years at No. 6. Northern Iowa, Wofford, Jacksonville State, and New Hampshire complete the top 10, respectively.
Elon was among the teams receiving votes.
Fourteen conferences are represented in the poll. The Colonial Athletic Association has the most ranked teams with six, followed by the Southern Conference with four teams. The Big Sky, Missouri Valley and Southland all have three ranked teams. The Mid-Eastern Atlantic, Ohio Valley, Big South, Patriot, and Ivy make up the remaining conferences.
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.