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