Aug. 11, 2008
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Carroll (Mont.) College starts the 2008 season at No. 1 in the NAIA Football Top 25 Preseason Coaches' Poll (Aug. 11). After winning the 2007 Championship, the Fighting Saints have been tops in the last three polls (2007 postseason, 2008 spring, 2008 preseason). Carroll, which finished 15-0 last year, received all 15 of the possible first-place votes. CC narrowly grabbed the first spot over No. 2 Sioux Falls (S.D.), a team it defeated 17-9 in the title game which snapped USF's 27-game winning streak.
Carroll has now been ranked in the Top 5 in the last 40 straight polls dating back to November of 2004. CC has been No. 1 in 24 of those rankings. The No. 1 preseason slot has been a familiar one as CC was the preseason favorite from 2003-06. Sioux Falls held No. 1 in the 2007 preseason poll.
Two Semifinal teams from a year ago hold the No. 3 and No. 4 rankings in Missouri Valley and Saint Francis (Ind.). Ohio Dominican rounds out the Top 5 with the No. 5 position. ODU welcomes back NAIA record-holder Cris Reisert at quarterback. Reisert set NAIA single season records last year with the most passing yards (5,434) and touchdowns responsible for (57).
A few notable early season games to watch out for: No. 1 Carroll (Mont.) at No. 23 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) on Aug. 30, No. 8 Saint Xavier (Ill.) at Wisconsin-Whitewater (2007 NCAA Division III Champions) on Sept. 5, No. 9 Lindenwood (Mo.) at No. 12 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) on Sept. 6, No. 2 Sioux Falls (S.D.) at Nebraska Wesleyan (RV) on Sept. 6, No. 25 McKendree (Ill.) at No. 16 Georgetown (Ky.) on Sept. 6.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and independents. The first regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on Sept. 15.
For more information on NAIA football, please click here.
2008 NAIA Football Top 25 Preseason Coaches' Poll - (Aug. 11)
|
RANK
|
SCHOOL
|
1st PLACE VOTES
|
2007 FINAL RECORD
|
TOTAL POINTS
|
|
1
|
Carroll College (Mont.)
|
15
|
15-0
|
340
|
|
2
|
University of Sioux Falls (S.D.)
|
|
13-1
|
327
|
|
3
|
Missouri Valley College
|
|
10-3
|
308
|
|
4
|
University of Saint Francis (Ind.)
|
|
11-2
|
297
|
|
5
|
Ohio Dominican University
|
|
12-1
|
292
|
|
6
|
Bethel College (Tenn.)
|
|
11-2
|
280
|
|
7
|
Morningside College (Iowa)
|
|
9-3
|
261
|
|
8
|
Saint Xavier University (Ill.)
|
|
10-3
|
248
|
|
9
|
Lindenwood University (Mo.)
|
|
10-2
|
237
|
|
10
|
Saint Ambrose University (Iowa)
|
|
8-3
|
198
|
|
11
|
Friends University (Kan.)
|
|
9-2
|
183
|
|
12
|
MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.)
|
|
9-3
|
181
|
|
13
|
Northwestern College (Iowa)
|
|
8-2
|
164
|
|
14
|
University of Virginia's College at Wise
|
|
9-2
|
131
|
|
15
|
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
|
|
8-4
|
129
|
|
16
|
Georgetown College (Ky.)
|
|
6-4
|
124
|
|
17
|
Bethel College (Kan.)
|
|
8-1
|
115
|
|
18
|
Black Hills State University (S.D.)
|
|
7-4
|
111
|
|
T19
|
Jamestown College (N.D.)
|
|
9-2
|
105
|
|
T19
|
Minot State University (N.D.)
|
|
6-4
|
105
|
|
21
|
Montana Tech of the Univ of Montana
|
|
7-4
|
98
|
|
22
|
University of the Cumberlands (Ky.)
|
|
8-3
|
93
|
|
23
|
Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)
|
|
6-5
|
77
|
|
24
|
Malone College (Ohio)
|
|
8-4
|
41
|
|
25
|
McKendree University (Ill.)
|
|
6-4
|
38
|
Others receiving votes:
Nebraska Wesleyan University 22; Sterling College (Kan.) 21; Cumberland University (Tenn.) 21; Shorter College (Ga.) 6; Montana State University-Northern 3; Langston University (Okla.) 3; Campbellsville University (Ky.) 1; Southern Oregon University 1; Southern Nazarene University (Okla.) 1; Hastings College (Neb.) 1
