SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Furman and The Citadel have earned spots in the HERO Sports FCS Preseason Top 25, checking in at Nos. 14 and 21, respectively. Chattanooga and Wofford also received votes in the poll.
 
Furman is coming off an 8-5 campaign in 2019 that saw it post a 6-2 SoCon slate en route to an at-large berth to the FCS playoffs. The Paladins return 14 starters and 47 lettermen from that squad, which finished the season ranked inside the top 25 nationally.
 
The Citadel went 6-6 overall and 4-4 in league play last season, downing FBS Georgia Tech in overtime early in the season and winning four straight SoCon games midway through its league schedule, including a 27-10 win at then-No. 8 Furman.
 
Chattanooga is coming off a 6-6 season under first-year head coach Rusty Wright. UTC finished third in the SoCon with a 5-3 league tally and was in the race down to the final game of the season.
 
Wofford went 8-4 overall last season and won its final seven SoCon contests to clinch its third straight SoCon title and make its fourth straight FCS playoff appearance. The Terriers finished the season ranked inside the top 20 nationally.
 
Furman and Wofford are slated to square off against each other to open the season on Sept. 5, while The Citadel hosts Elon and Chattanooga visits Western Kentucky that day.

For the full HERO Sports release, click here.

2020 HERO Sports FCS Preseason Top 25 Poll
1. North Dakota State
2. South Dakota State
3. Northern Iowa
4. Sacramento State
5. James Madison
6. Weber State
7. Montana
8. Villanova
9. Montana State
10. Central Arkansas
11. Kennesaw State
12. Illinois State
13 Austin Peay
14. Furman
15. Delaware
16. Princeton
17. New Hampshire
18. Eastern Washington
19. North Carolina A&T
20. Florida A&M
21. The Citadel
22. Southern Illinois
23. Sam Houston State
24. Albany
25. Yale
 
Also receiving votes (alphabetical):
Alcorn State, Chattanooga, Dartmouth, Elon, Nicholls, Portland State, SEMO, UT Martin, Wofford