NDSU Football Ranked No. 1 in AFCA FCS Coaches Poll

The first-ever American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches Poll was released today (August 13th) and North Dakota State will enter the season ranked No. 1 overall.

The defending national champions from NDSU earned 23 of the 26 possible first-place votes. The other three went to last year's national runner-up, James Madison, which is ranked No. 2 at the start of the season. South Dakota State comes in just behind JMU to round out the top three.

The Missouri Valley Football Conference had five total teams ranked amongst the top 25 in the preseason coaches poll. The other three besides NDSU and SDSU are Northern Iowa (12th), Illinois State (20th), and Youngstown State (24th).

The is the first time the AFCA is administering the FCS Coaches Poll. The top 25 and other teams receiving votes can be seen below.

2018 AFCA FCS Coaches Preseason Poll
	Team (First-Place Votes)	W-L	Pts	Prev
1.	North Dakota St. (23)	14-1	647	1
2.	James Madison (3)	14-1	623	2
3.	South Dakota St.	11-3	579	4
4.	Sam Houston St.	12-2	557	3
5.	Kennesaw St.	12-2	543	9
6.	Jacksonville St.	10-3	530	10
7.	Eastern Washington	7-4	454	22
8.	Weber St.	11-3	446	5
9.	New Hampshire	9-5	430	15
10.	Samford	8-4	393	17
11.	Wofford	10-3	340	7
12.	Northern Iowa	8-5	338	19
13.	Elon	8-4	319	21
14.	North Carolina A&T	12-0	292	6
15.	Central Arkansas	10-2	269	8
16.	Delaware	7-4	257	NR
17.	Nicholls St.	8-4	241	23
18.	McNeese St.	9-2	187	18
19.	Villanova	5-6	165	NR
20.	Illinois St.	6-5	144	NR
21.	Furman	8-5	128	20
22.	Stony Brook	10-3	120	11
23.	Austin Peay	8-4	119	NR
24.	Youngstown St.	6-5	88	NR
25.	Montana	7-4	67	NR

Others receiving votes: Idaho, 41; Northern Arizona, 36; Yale, 22; Grambling St., 14; Monmouth (N.J.), 12; Southern Utah, 11; Sacramento St., 9; Colgate, 8; South Dakota, 6; San Diego, 5; Richmond, 4; Western Illinois, 3; Western Carolina, 2; Lehigh, 1.

Filed Under: FCS, NDSU

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