Release courtesy of Vince Thompson, Director of Media Relations, AFCA
WACO, TEX.– Minnesota-Duluth, fresh off of their second national championship in 2010, opens up 2011 as the preseason favorite to win the national championship. This is the first time since the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Poll started in 2000 that the Bulldogs have begun the season ranked No. 1. 2010 national runner-up Delta St. (Miss.) starts the season at No. 2, followed by No. 3 Northwest Missouri State, who received one first-place vote, No. 4 Abilene Christian (Texas) and No. 5 Grand Valley State (Mich.). There will be four Top 25 matchups in the first week of action, including a Top 10 battle as No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth travels to No. 8 Augustana (S.D.).
2011 American Football Coaches Association Preseason Division II Coaches’ Poll - August 15, 2011
|
Rank |
School (1st votes) |
2010 Rec. |
Pts. |
2010 Rank* |
Season Opener |
Head Coach |
|
1. |
Minnesota-Duluth (28) |
15-0 |
724 |
1 |
Sept. 3 at No. 8 Augustana (S.D.) |
Bob Nielson |
|
2. |
Delta St. (Miss.) |
11-4 |
657 |
2 |
Aug. 27 vs. Elizabeth City St. (N.C.) |
Ron Roberts |
|
3. |
NW Missouri St. (1) |
12-2 |
624 |
3 |
Sept. 1 at Truman St. (Mo.) |
Adam Dorrel |
|
4. |
Abilene Christian (Texas) |
11-1 |
607 |
8 |
Sept. 1 at Tarleton St. (Texas) |
Chris Thomsen |
|
5. |
Grand Valley St. (Mich.) |
11-2 |
579 |
10 |
Sept. 1 vs. Western Oregon |
Matt Mitchell |
|
6. |
North Alabama |
9-4 |
468 |
22 |
Sept. 1 vs. Central Oklahoma |
Terry Bowden |
|
7. |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
10-2 |
437 |
9 |
Sept. 2 at No. 22 Central Washington |
Bo Atterberry |
|
8. |
Augustana (S.D.) |
11-2 |
426 |
6 |
Sept. 3 vs. No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth |
Mike Aldrich |
|
9T. |
Albany St. (Ga.) |
11-1 |
379 |
4 |
Sept. 3 vs. Savannah St. (Ga.) |
Mike White |
|
9T. |
Bloomsburg (Pa.) |
10-3 |
379 |
15 |
Sept. 1 vs. Ashland (Ohio) |
Danny Hale |
|
11. |
Shepherd (W.Va.) |
12-2 |
377 |
7 |
Sept. 3 vs. Shippensburg (Pa.) |
Monte Cater |
|
12. |
California (Pa.) |
10-2 |
369 |
14 |
Sept. 1 vs. No. 13 St. Cloud State (Minn.) |
John Luckhardt |
|
13. |
St. Cloud State (Minn.) |
10-3 |
346 |
12 |
Sept. 1 at No. 12 California (Pa.) |
Scott Underwood |
|
14. |
Wingate (N.C.) |
9-3 |
284 |
20 |
Sept. 3 vs. No. 20 Valdosta St. (Ga.) |
Joe Reich |
|
15. |
Central Missouri |
11-3 |
270 |
5 |
Sept. 1 vs. Missouri Southern St. |
Jim Svoboda |
|
16. |
Nebraska-Kearney |
9-2 |
242 |
23 |
Sept. 1 at Wayne St. (Neb.) |
Darrell Morris |
|
17. |
Mercyhurst (Pa.) |
10-3 |
207 |
11 |
Sept. 3 vs. Notre Dame (Ohio) |
Marty Schaetzle |
|
18. |
Washburn (Kan.) |
8-4 |
201 |
NR |
Sept. 1 at Sioux Falls (S.D.) |
Craig Schurig |
|
19. |
West Texas A&M |
8-4 |
186 |
18 |
Sept. 1 vs. Colorado St.-Pueblo |
Don Carthel |
|
20. |
Valdosta St. (Ga.) |
8-3 |
184 |
17 |
Sept. 3 at No. 14 Wingate (N.C.) |
David Dean |
|
21. |
Wayne St. (Mich.) |
9-2 |
177 |
21 |
Sept. 3 vs. Urbana (Ohio) |
Paul Winters |
|
22. |
Central Washington |
8-3 |
164 |
NR |
Sept. 2 vs. No. 7 Texas A&M-Kingsville |
Blaine Bennett |
|
23. |
Kutztown (Pa.) |
10-2 |
144 |
13 |
Sept. 3 at St. Anselm (N.H.) |
Raymond Monica |
|
24. |
Henderson St. (Ark.) |
7-4 |
139 |
NR |
Sept. 1 at Central Arkansas |
Scott Maxfield |
|
25T. |
Hillsdale (Mich.) |
9-3 |
91 |
16 |
Sept. 2 at Ferris St. (Mich.) |
Keith Otterbein |
|
25T. |
Shaw (N.C.) |
9-3 |
91 |
NR |
Sept. 3 at Stillman (Ala.) |
Darrell Asberry |
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2010
Others Receiving Votes: Colorado School of Mines, 87; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 80; Missouri Western St., 72; Tuskegee (Ala.), 68; West Liberty (W.Va.), 60; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 48; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 31; Michigan Tech, 31; New Haven (Conn.), 28; Ashland (Ohio), 24; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 24; Wayne St. (Neb.), 17; Midwestern St. (Texas), 15; Morehouse (Ga.), 14; Southern Connecticut St., 14; Tusculum (Tenn.), 9; Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.), 7; Lincoln (Pa.), 7; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 7; West Alabama, 6; Central Oklahoma, 5; Winona St. (Minn.), 4; Winston-Salem St. (N.C.), 4; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 3; St. Augustine’s (N.C.), 3; Chadron St. (Neb.), 1; Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.), 1; Harding (Ark.), 1; Merrimack (Mass.), 1; Minnesota St.-Mankato, 1.
