Kansas City, Mo. – Northwest Missouri tops the AFCA Preseason Football Poll and are joined by two other MIAA teams in the top 25.
Pittsburg State is ranked ninth in the poll with Emporia State picked in a tie for 22nd overall. Central Missouri, Missouri Western and Washburn all received votes in the poll which was released today.
The MIAA season is set to kick-off with five games on Thursday, Sept. 4.
2014 American Football Coaches Association Preseason Division II Coaches’ Poll – August 18, 2014
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2013 Rec. | Pts. | Prev.* | Season Opener | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Northwest Missouri State (31) | 15-0 | 799 | 1 | Sept. 4 vs. Nebraska-Kearney | Adam Dorrel |
| 2. | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 12-3 | 725 | 3 | Sept. 4 at No. 22 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) | Matt Mitchell |
| 3. | Minnesota Duluth | 11-2 | 634 | 8 | Sept. 6 vs. Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) | Curt Wiese |
| 4. | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 11-1 | 619 | 7 | Sept. 4 vs. No. 11 West Texas A&M | John Wristen |
| 5. | North Alabama | 10-3 | 589 | 10 | Sept. 13 at Mississippi College | Bobby Wallace |
| 6. | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 13-2 | 538 | 2 | Sept. 6 vs. Point (Ga.) | Ian Shields |
| 7. | Minnesota State | 11-1 | 530 | 6 | Sept. 4 vs. No. 15 St. Cloud State (Minn.) | Todd Hoffner |
| 8. | Henderson State (Ark.) (1) | 11-1 | 523 | 13 | Sept. 6 at Southern Nazarene (Okla.) | Scott Maxfield |
| 9. | Pittsburg State (Kan.) | 10-2 | 522 | 19 | Sept. 6 vs. Northeastern St. (Okla.) | Tim Beck |
| 10. | West Chester (Pa.) | 13-2 | 477 | 4 | Sept. 6 at New Haven (Conn.) | Bill Zwaan |
| 11. | West Texas A&M | 11-3 | 407 | 11 | Sept. 4 at No. 4 Colorado St.-Pueblo | Mike Nesbitt |
| 12. | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 11-1 | 393 | 9 | Sept. 6 at West Liberty (W.Va.) | Monte Cater |
| 13. | Ohio Dominican | 10-1 | 390 | 12 | Sept. 6 vs. Malone (Ohio) | Bill Conley |
| 14. | Winston-Salem State (N.C.) | 10-2 | 389 | 14 | Sept. 6 vs. No. 21 North Carolina-Pembroke | Kienus Boulware |
| 15. | St. Cloud State (Minn.) | 12-2 | 350 | 5 | Sept. 4 at No. 7 Minnesota St.-Mankato | Scott Underwood |
| 16. | Carson-Newman (Tenn.) | 10-3 | 333 | 17 | Sept. 4 vs. Edinboro (Pa.) | Ken Sparks |
| 17. | Tarleton State (Texas) | 7-3 | 266 | NR | Sept. 13 at No. 11 West Texas A&M | Cary Fowler |
| 18. | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 10-2 | 229 | 18 | Sept. 6 at Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) | Bob Bartolomeo |
| 19. | Delta State. (Miss.) | 7-3 | 206 | NR | Sept. 6 at Fort Valley St. (Ga.) | Todd Cooley |
| 20. | Indiana (Pa.) | 9-2 | 167 | 24 | Sept. 6 vs. St. Augustine’s (N.C.) | Curt Cignetti |
| 21. | North Carolina-Pembroke | 9-2 | 140 | 15 | Sept. 6 at No. 14 Winston-Salem St. (N.C.) | Shane Richardson |
| 22t. | Azusa Pacific (Calif.) | 10-2 | 133 | NR | Sept. 4 vs. No. 2 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | Victor Santa Cruz |
| 22t. | Emporia State (Kan.) | 9-2 | 133 | 20 | Sept. 4 vs. Missouri Southern St. | Garin Higgins |
| 24. | Bloomsburg (Pa.) | 10-2 | 103 | 16 | Sept. 6 at Stonehill (Mass.) | Paul Darragh |
| 25. | Tuskegee (Ala.) | 8-3 | 98 | 25 | Sept. 6 vs. Alabama A&M | Willie Slater |
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2013
Others Receiving Votes: Saginaw Valley State (Mich.), 87; Central Missouri, 82; West Alabama, 67; Valdosta State (Ga.), 59; American International (Mass.), 51; Ferris State (Mich.), 41; California (Pa.), 38; Missouri Western State, 38; Albany State (Ga.), 32; Midwestern State (Texas), 31; Harding (Ark.), 27; Colorado School of Mines, 20; Newberry (S.C.), 20; Concord (W.Va.), 19; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 19; Slippery Rock (Pa.), 13; Eastern New Mexico, 12; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 9; Winona State (Minn.), 9; Fayetteville State (N.C.), 7; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 7; Truman State (Mo.), 5; Findlay (Ohio), 3; Miles (Ala.), 3; Chadron State (Neb.), 2; Michigan Tech, 2; Washburn (Kan.), 2; West Georgia, 2.