The American Football Coaches Association released its 2018 preseason NCAA Division II Coaches’ Poll on Monday, and the Tigers are near the top of the rankings.
Fort Hays State is tied for fifth place in the poll with fellow MIAA member Northwest Missouri. FHSU went unscathed through the regular season last year and finished at 11-1.
Kansas was also represented in the poll by its other D-II football-playing schools with each receiving votes: Pittsburg State (21), Emporia State (11) and Washburn (1).
AFCA 2018 NCAA D-II Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Texas A&M Commerce (13), 14-1, 748, 1
2. West Florida (14), 11-4, 721, 2
3. Minnesota State (2), 13-1, 691, 4
4. Indiana (Pa.) (2), 13-1, 666, 3
T-5. Fort Hays State (Kan.), 11-1, 591, 8
T-5. Northwest Missouri State (2), 9-3, 591, 16
7. Harding (Ark.), 11-4, 550, 6
8. Ferris State (Mich.), 11-2, 503, 5
9. Central Washington, 11-1, 566, 7
10. Grand Valley State (Mich.), 8-3, 478, NR
11. Midwestern (Texas) State, 10-1, 473, 11
12. West Alabama, 10-3, 470, 12
13. Indianapolis, 11-1, 402, 13
14. Colorado State-Pueblo, 9-3, 401, 17
15. Ashland (Ohio), 11-2, 350, 10
16. Shepherd (W. Va), 10-1, 332, 14
17. Assumption (Mass.), 11-2, 292, 9
18. Central Missouri, 9-3, 209, NR
19. West Georgia, 9-4, 196, 19
20. Sioux Falls, 9-3, 158, 20
21. Winona State (Minn.), 10-2, 134, 15
22. Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 8-3, 118, NR
23. Ohio Dominican, 7-3, 105, NR
24. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 9-3, 1-2, NR
25. Findlay (Ohio), 10-3, 101, 22
Others Receiving Votes: California (Pa.), 89; Delta St. (Miss.), 74; West Chester (Pa.), 74; Colorado Mesa, 66; Bowie St. (Md.), 60; Virginia St., 51; Minnesota-Duluth, 41; Albany St. (Ga.), 39; Florida Tech, 36; Colorado Mines, 34; Shippensburg (Pa.), 31; Tuskegee (Ala.), 26; Wingate (N.C.), 25; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 22; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 22; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 21; Notre Dame (Ohio), 18; Eastern New Mexico, 17; Edinboro (Pa.), 15; Missouri Western St., 14; Bloomsburg (Pa.), 13; Emporia St. (Kan.), 11; Central Oklahoma, 9; LIU Post (N.Y.), 8; Slippery Rock (Pa.), 8; Augustana (S.D.), 5; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 5; Humboldt St. (Calif.), 4; Catawba (N.C.), 3; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 3; Hillsdale (Mich.), 3; Southern Arkansas, 1; Washburn (Kan.), 1.