Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Preseason FCS Coaches Poll has Football ranked No. 5
08/23/2010 | 12:00:00 | Football
Aug. 23, 2010
By Jason Clay
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois football team was ranked No. 5 in the FCS Preseason Coaches Poll that was released Monday.
This is the highest that SIU has been ranked in the preseason coaches poll since 2005, when SIU also came in at No. 5. That year the Salukis finished No. 7 in the final rankings.
The Salukis, who were picked as the 2010 preseason favorites in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, received the highest ranking of any team in the league. South Dakota State (No. 10) and Northern Iowa (No. 13) also were ranked in the Top 25 while Illinois State, Missouri State and Youngtown State all received votes.
Defending national champion Villanova received 22 of the 28 first-place votes as they were a near unanimous No. 1. Montana received two first-place votes as they came in at No. 2 and Appalachian State followed them at No. 3. The Mountaineers did receive four first-place votes in the poll, but trailed the Grizzlies by 10 total points.
William & Mary, who defeated the Salukis in the quarterfinals of last year's playoffs, was ranked one spot ahead of SIU at No. 4.
The highest Southern Illinois has ever been ranked in a preseason poll came in 2004, when the Salukis were plotted at No. 2. SIU spent a program record 10-weeks ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll that year.
Southern Illinois, who was also ranked No. 5 in The Sports Network/Fathead.com Preseason Top 25 Poll, opens the season on Thursday, Sept. 2 against Quincy. The 7 p.m. game will be the first-ever played in the newly constructed Saluki Stadium.
The grand opening of Saluki Stadium will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 24, with a ribbon cutting ceremony that starts at 4:45 p.m.
