ESU Sports
Don Weast, Assistant Athletic Director or Media Relations
The Emporia State Hornets have been named the “Best College Football Team” in Kansas regardless of Division by Hero Sports. The Hornets are one of nine NCAA Division II schools that claimed the top distinction in their state while the MIAA is the only D2 conference with two teams recognized.
The Hero Sports scores were tabulated on the following criteria from the last five years:
Winning Percentage x 10
MVP Awards (Heisman/Payton/Hill/Gagliardi): 0.5 points
AFCA Coach of the Year Awards: 0.5 points
Each Bowl Game Appearance: 0.5 points
Each Conference Championship: 0.75 points
Each Playoff Appearance: 1 point
Each National Championship: 2 points
The Hornets have a .738 winning percentage and have made three playoff appearances in the last five years, highlighted by a Regional Championship game appearance in 2015. Emporia State has finished second in the MIAA in four of the last five years to Northwest Missouri, the top team in Missouri, however only conference championships count in the Hero Sports scoring.
The top teams in Kansas and Missouri will meet to open the 2017 season as #4 Emporia State travels to #1 Northwest Missouri on August 31 in Maryville, Mo. It will be the fifth meeting in the last 22 months between the two.
NCAA Division II Teams listed as the Best College Football Team in their state:
Arkansas – Henderson State 13.70 pts
Colorado – Colorado State-Pueblo 19.75 pts
Georgia – Valdosta State 14.75 pts
Kansas – Emporia State 10.38 pts
Missouri – Northwest Missouri 24.03 pts
Michigan – Ferris State 13.53 pts
New Mexico – Eastern New Mexico 6.12 pts
North Carolina – Winston-Salem State 13.12 pts
West Virginia – Shepherd 14.94 ptsf