TAMUC – Sports

 

Lions ranked No. 1 nationally in AFCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

WACO – Following the program’s first-ever NCAA Division II National Championship in 2017, the Texas A&M University-Commerce football team is ranked No. 1 in the 2018 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Preseason Poll, as released Monday.

This is the first time the Lions have ever started the season in the No. 1 position. A&M-Commerce received 13 of the 33 first-place votes and edged out 2017 national runner-up West Florida for the top position. The Lions had a 14-1 record in the national championship season and carry Division II’s longest active winning streak at 10 games. A total of 43 letter winners and 14 starters – five on offense and nine on defense – return for the Lions.

Three Lion opponents for 2018 are in the top 25 or receiving votes. MSU Texas is ranked 11th, Colorado State-Pueblo is ranked 14th, and Eastern New Mexico is receiving votes.

A&M-Commerce has been ranked in 40 consecutive AFCA polls, dating back to the 2015 preseason poll. This is A&M-Commerce’s 46th all-time appearance in the AFCA poll since its inception in 2000.

In the polls recognized by Division II as the top rating system, the Lions have been recognized as a nationally ranked team 95 times since joining Division II in 1981. This is the second-ever Division II No. 1 ranking for the Lions, with the other coming after last year’s national championship victory.

Season tickets are available for the Lions’ six-game home schedule, which kicks off on Thursday, August 30 against Texas A&M-Kingsville in the annual battle for the Chennault Cup and Student Appreciation Night. General admission seating is available for $60 for the season, with limited chairback season tickets available for $80. Season tickets are available online at WeAreLionsTix.com or by calling Lion Sales and Service at (903) 468-8756.

All chairback season ticket holders are encouraged to consider philanthropic support of our 424 talented student-athletes with a gift to the Lion Champions Fund. For information on the LCF, please contact Taylor Phelps at (903) 886-5554.

2018 American Football Coaches Association Preseason Division II Coaches’ Poll August 13, 2018

 

Rank	School (1st votes)	2017 Rec.	Pts.	Prev. Rank*
1.	A&M-COMMERCE (13)	14-1	748	1
2.	West Florida (14)	11-4	721	2
3.	Minnesota St. (2)	13-1	691	4
4.	Indiana (Pa.) (2)	13-1	666	3
5.	Fort Hays St. (Kan.)	11-1	591	8
	Northwest Missouri St. (2)	9-3	591	16
7.	Harding (Ark.)	11-4	550	6
8.	Ferris St. (Mich.)	11-2	503	5
9.	Central Washington	11-1	494	7
10.	Grand Valley St. (Mich.)	8-3	478	NR
11.	MSU Texas	10-1	473	11
12.	West Alabama	10-3	470	12
13.	Indianapolis (Ind.)	11-1	402	13
14.	Colorado St.-Pueblo	9-3	401	17
15.	Ashland (Ohio)	11-2	350	10
16.	Shepherd (W.Va.)	10-1	332	14
17.	Assumption (Mass.)	11-2	292	9
18.	Central Missouri	9-3	209	NR
19.	West Georgia	9-4	196	19
20.	Sioux Falls (S.D.)	9-3	158	20
21.	Winona St. (Minn.)	10-2	134	15
22.	Carson-Newman (Tenn.)	8-3	118	NR
23.	Ohio Dominican	7-3	105	NR
24.	Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)	9-3	102	NR
25.	Findlay (Ohio)	10-3	101	22

*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2017

Others Receiving Votes: California (Pa.), 89; Delta St. (Miss.), 74; West Chester (Pa.), 74; Colorado Mesa, 66; Bowie St. (Md.), 60; Virginia St., 51; Minnesota-Duluth, 41; Albany St. (Ga.), 39; Florida Tech, 36; Colorado Mines, 34; Shippensburg (Pa.), 31; Tuskegee (Ala.), 26; Wingate (N.C.), 25; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 22; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 22; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 21; Notre Dame (Ohio), 18; Eastern New Mexico, 17; Edinboro (Pa.), 15; Missouri Western St., 14; Bloomsburg (Pa.), 13; Emporia St. (Kan.), 11; Central Oklahoma, 9; LIU Post (N.Y.), 8; Slippery Rock (Pa.), 8; Augustana (S.D.), 5; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 5; Humboldt St. (Calif.), 4; Catawba (N.C.), 3; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 3; Hillsdale (Mich.), 3; Southern Arkansas, 1; Washburn (Kan.), 1.

 

Josh Manck

Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Communications | Texas A&M University-Commerce