SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Three Southern Conference football squads earned spots in the HERO Sports FCS Preseason Top 25 rankings, announced Thursday.
 
Furman enters the season tied for fifth in the national rankings, while Samford is ranked No. 8 in the poll. Mercer checks in at No. 19, while Chattanooga received votes in the poll.
 
Furman (No. 6), Samford (No. 13) and Mercer (No. 17) also earned spots in the Athlon Sports FCS Preseason Top 25 last week.
 
Mercer will get the 2023 FCS season underway against North Alabama, squaring off against the Lions in the ninth annual FCS Kickoff at the historic Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug. 26, at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
 
2023 HERO Sports FCS Preseason Top 25
1. South Dakota State (3 first-place votes)
2. North Dakota State
3. Montana State
4. Holy Cross
T5. Furman
T5. Idaho
7. William & Mary
8. Samford
9. Incarnate Word
10. Sacramento State
T11. SEMO
T11. Weber State
13. North Carolina Central
14. New Hampshire
15. Southeastern Louisiana University
16. Montana
17. North Dakota
18. UC Davis
19. Mercer
20. Jackson State
21. Eastern Kentucky
22. Gardner-Webb
T23. Richmond
T23. Youngstown State
25. Rhode Island
 
Received votes (ordered from most voting points to least): Northern Iowa, Chattanooga, Delaware, Southern Illinois, Austin Peay, Elon, Florida A&M