SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference held its annual football media day on Wednesday at the Spartanburg Marriott. Local and regional media were in attendance to speak with the league’s head coaches and players to kick off the upcoming season.

The conference announced its preseason awards in coordination with the event. Chattanooga was selected as the preseason favorite for 2014 by both the media and the coaches. The Mocs earned 29 of the 30 first-place votes by the media while six coaches tabbed them as the top pick to win the conference.

“It’s flattering and it’s nice but right now it means nothing,” said Chattanooga head coach Russ Huesman. “Anybody in this league can win this league. I think it is a very strong league. I think it just means that we were OK last year and have some good players returning this year.”

Chattanooga also took home both preseason player-of-the-year honors. Junior quarterback Jacob Huesman was selected as the preseason Offensive Player of the Year while senior defensive lineman Davis Tull was honored as preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

“It is a great honor and I appreciate it,” Tull said. “I am thankful for the support system that I have and without my coaches and teammates this would not have been possible. This is a preseason award, though, and I am coming in to this year like it is any other year. I just want to continue to work hard and to become even better as a football player.”

Tull was named a First-Team Associated Press All-American in 2013 and has twice been named SoCon Defensive Player of the Year. Huesman was named first-team all-conference by the league’s coaches last season and was selected for the 2014 Walter Payton Award Watch List earlier this month.

The 2014 Southern Conference football season begins Thursday, Aug. 28, when Chattanooga visits Central Michigan and Mercer hosts Reinhardt. The other six league teams hit the field for their season openers Aug. 30.