Football

Cardinals Ranked #14 in 2010 AFCA Preseason Poll

Posted: Aug 09, 2010

WACO, TEX. – The Saginaw Valley State University football team was ranked #14 by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) in the 2010 preseason poll released today (Aug. 9). The Cardinals will open the season on Sept. 4 when the host #6 California (Pa.) at noon at Wickes Stadium.

Northwest Missouri State, fresh off of their third national championship in 2009, opens up 2010 as the preseason favorite to win the national championship. This is the second time since the AFCA Division II Coaches' Poll started in 2000 that the Bearcats have begun the season ranked No. 1. Northwest Missouri State received 22 first place votes, while 2009 national runner-up Grand Valley State (Mich.) received three and comes in ranked No. 2. North Alabama received the final first place vote, and is ranked No. 3, with Minnesota-Duluth and Central Washington rounding out the Top 5.

2010 American Football Coaches Association Division II Preseason Coaches' Poll
August 9, 2010

Rank School (1st votes)

1. Northwest Missouri St. (22)
2. Grand Valley St. (3)
3. North Alabama (1)
4. Minnesota-Duluth
5. Central Washington
6. California
7. Abilene Christian
8. West Liberty
9. Carson-Newman
10. Washburn
11. West Texas A&M
12. West Alabama
13. Nebraska-Kearney
14. Saginaw Valley St.
15. Nebraska-Omaha
16. Texas A&M-Kingsville
17. Tuskegee
18. Hillsdale
19. Midwestern St.
20. Missouri Western St.
21. Minnesota St.-Mankato
22. West Chester
23. North Carolina-Pembroke
24. Delta St.
25. East Stroudsburg

Others Receiving Votes: Texas A&M-Commerce, 73; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 59; Bemidji St. (Minn.), 56; Wingate (N.C.), 49; Bloomsburg (Pa.), 34; Tarleton St. (Texas), 32; Albany St. (Ga.), 30; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 28; Colorado School of Mines, 27; St. Cloud State (Minn.), 17; Benedict (S.C.), 16; Morehouse (Ga.), 15; Indiana (Pa.), 14; Shaw (N.C.), 14; West Virginia St., 14; Augustana (S.D.), 13; Findlay (Ohio), 13; Winona St. (Minn.), 13; Central Missouri, 11; Charleston (W.Va.), 11; Shippensburg (Pa.), 11; Angelo St. (Texas), 9; Shepherd (W.Va.), 9; Bentley (Mass.), 8; Chadron St. (Neb.), 6; Southern Connecticut St., 6; Arkansas Tech, 4; Southeastern Oklahoma St., 4; Edinboro (Pa.), 3; C.W. Post (N.Y.), 2; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 1; Henderson St. (Ark.), 1; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 1; Wayne St. (Neb.), 1; Western Oregon, 1.

For more information on the AFCA and its programs, log on to the AFCA's website at www.afca.com.