Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Football ranked No. 7 in Preseason Coaches Poll
08/24/2009 | 12:00:00 | Football
Aug. 24, 2009
By Jason Clay
www.SIUSalukis.com
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Southern Illinois football team debuted at No. 7 in the preseason Football Championship Subdivision Coaches Poll that was released Monday.
The Salukis received 468 points in the initial poll of the 2009 season. The No. 7 ranking extends SIU's streak to 82-consecutive weeks being ranked in the Top 20 in either the coaches or Sports Network national polls, which is the longest active streak in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
"We're pleased with the recognition that the poll brings to our program and our conference," second-year head coach Dale Lennon said. "At the same time, our focus remains on getting better each day and preparing for Marshall."
The program, whose 59 wins since 2003 are the 11th most in all of Division I football (FBS and FCS), returns 18 starters from its 2008 squad that had a 9-3 record and reached the FCS playoffs for the sixth-straight season. Only Montana has a longer streak of consecutive playoff appearances.
Appalachian State came in at No. 1 with 13 first-place votes (665 points) and were closely followed at No. 2 by Richmond, the defending National Champions. Last year's championship runner-up, Montana, took third with Northern Iowa and Villanova rounding out the top five. The Panthers and Wildcats each received a first-place vote, while James Madison received two first-place votes and appeared one spot ahead of the Salukis.
The FCS Coaches Poll is based exclusively on a voting panel of head coaches in the FCS under the cooperation of the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and is administered by the Southern Conference.
