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Lions ranked No. 5 nationally in Preseason AFCA Coaches’ Poll
WACO – The Texas A&M University-Commerce football team will open the 2017 season ranked fifth nationally in the American Football Coaches’ Association Division II Poll, which was released Monday.
The back-to-back-to-back Lone Star Conference champion Lions return 14 starters from last year’s 11-2 team which advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs. The Lions are the highest ranked team in the newly configured Super Region Four, which consists of the Lone Star, Rocky Mountain Athletic, and Great Northwest Athletic conferences.
A stern test in the 2017 season opener meets A&M-Commerce. They travel to Florence, Ala., to take on the defending national runner-up and No. 6 ranked North Alabama on Thursday, August 31. Other Lion opponents who are ranked or receiving votes in the preseason poll are No. 24 Midwestern State and RV Texas A&M-Kingsville.
The Lions were ranked ninth nationally to end the 2016 season. A&M-Commerce has been ranked in 27 straight AFCA polls, dating back to the 2015 preseason poll. This game is A&M-Commerce’s 33rd all-time appearance in the AFCA poll since its inception in 2000.
The Lions will host their annual Fan Day this Saturday, August 19, beginning at 9 a.m. at Memorial Stadium. 2017 Lion Football tickets are available by visiting WeAreLionsTix.com, calling Lion Sales & Service at (903) 468-8756, or visiting the LSS Box Office in the Field House during business hours.
AFCA DIVISION II COACHES’ POLL
Preseason — August 14, 2017
| Rk | School | (1st) | Rec. | Pts. | Rank* |
| 1. | Northwest Missouri St. | (34) | 15-0 | 850 | 1 |
| 2. | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 12-1 | 765 | 4 | |
| 3. | Ferris St. (Mich.) | 12-3 | 716 | 5 | |
| 4. | Emporia St. (Kan.) | 11-2 | 652 | 10 | |
| 5. | A&M-COMMERCE | 11-2 | 634 | 9 | |
| 6. | North Alabama | 11-2 | 622 | 2 | |
| 7. | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 13-1 | 574 | 3 | |
| 8. | California (Pa.) | 11-1 | 568 | 7 | |
| 9. | Indiana (Pa.) | 10-2 | 500 | 12 | |
| 10. | Minnesota-Duluth | 10-2 | 431 | 14 | |
| 11. | Valdosta St. (Ga.) | 8-3 | 390 | 18 | |
| 12. | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 8-3 | 349 | NR | |
| 13. | Azusa Pacific (Calif.) | 9-3 | 302 | 25 | |
| 14. | LIU-Post (N.Y.) | 12-1 | 288 | 11 | |
| 15. | Harding (Ark.) | 13-1 | 281 | 6 | |
| 16. | Colorado School of Mines | 10-3 | 254 | 15 | |
| 17. | Sioux Falls (S.D.) | 12-1 | 235 | 8 | |
| 18. | Southwest Baptist (Mo.) | 10-2 | 227 | 22 | |
| 19. | UNC Pembroke | 10-2 | 220 | 13 | |
| 20. | Minnesota St. | 8-3 | 201 | NR | |
| 21. | Central Missouri | 9-3 | 189 | 21 | |
| 22. | Southern Arkansas | 9-3 | 157 | NR | |
| 23. | Colorado Mesa | 9-3 | 154 | NR | |
| 24. | Midwestern St. (Texas) | 8-3 | 138 | 24 | |
| 25. | Bemidji St. (Minn.) | 9-3 | 133 | NR |
Others Receiving Votes: Ashland (Ohio), 130; Tuskegee (Ala.), 123; North Greenville (S.C.), 121; Winston-Salem St. (N.C.), 114; Newberry (S.C.), 107; Ohio Dominican, 86; West Chester (Pa.), 82; West Georgia, 75; Edinboro (Pa.), 57; Albany St. (Ga.), 45; Florida Tech, 43; Assumption (Mass.), 38; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 36; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 19; Bowie St. (Md.), 16; Augustana (S.D.), 14; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 14; Virginia Union, 12; Arkansas Tech, 11; Central Washington, 10; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 10; Henderson St. (Ark.), 8; Charleston (W.Va.), 7; Indianapolis (Ind.), 7; Gannon (Pa.), 6; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 6; Truman St. (Mo.), 5; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 4; Slippery Rock (Pa.), 4; Delta St. (Miss.), 3; East Central (Okla.), 3; Humboldt St. (Calif.), 2; Tusculum (Tenn.), 1; Wingate (N.C.), 1.