WACO, Texas – Preseason accolades and high expectations continue to roll in for the West Chester University football squad. The Golden Rams were slated 20th in the 2009 American Football Coaches’ Association (AFCA) Coaches’ Poll announced Monday morning.
Grand Valley State (Mich.), fresh off of a quarterfinal appearance in the 2008 NCAA Division II playoffs, opens up 2009 as the preseason favorite to win the national championship. This is the sixth time since the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Poll started in 2000 that the Lakers have begun the season ranked No. 1. Grand Valley State (Mich.) received 12 first place votes, while 2008 national runner-up Northwest Missouri State received four and comes in ranked No. 2. Defending national champion and No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth received eight first place votes while No. 5 Abilene Christian (Texas) received the final first place vote.
The Golden Rams finished 2008 ranked 17th in the final AFCA poll last December after bowing out of the NCAA II playoffs in the second round to PSAC East rival Bloomsburg. West Chester is one of four PSAC schools appearing in the preseason coaches’ poll. West Chester’s 105 points were six more than Edinboro, who is ranked 21st.
The Golden Rams are also ranked as high as 17th in the Lindy's College Football Preview magazine, which hit newstands earlier in the summer.
West Chester lifts the lid on its 2009 campaign on Thursday, Aug. 27 at Lock Haven University.
| Rank |
School (1st place votes) |
2008 Final Record |
Points |
| 1 |
Grand Valley St. (12) |
11-1 |
601 |
| 2 |
NW Missouri St. (4) |
12-2 |
575 |
| 3 |
Minn-Duluth (8) |
15-0 |
552 |
| 4 |
Delta St. (Miss.) |
10-2 |
538 |
| 5 |
Abilene Christian (1) |
11-1 |
495 |
| 6 |
North Alabama |
12-2 |
480 |
| 7 |
Pittsburg St. (Kan.) |
11-2 |
420 |
| 8 |
California (Pa.) |
12-2 |
402 |
| 9 |
Carson-Newman (Tenn.) |
7-4 |
355 |
| 10 |
Chadron St. (Neb.) |
11-2 |
352 |
| 11 |
West Texas A&M |
11-2 |
345 |
| 12 |
Valdosta St. |
9-3 |
336 |
| 13 |
Bloomsburg |
11-2 |
325 |
| 14 |
Central Washington |
10-2 |
302 |
| 15 |
Ashland (Ohio) |
9-4 |
270 |
| 16 |
Central Oklahoma |
7-4 |
199 |
| 17 |
Minn-Mankato |
9-3 |
197 |
| 18 |
Tuskegee (Ala.) |
10-1 |
142 |
| 19 |
Albany St. (Ga.) |
7-4 |
110 |
| 20 |
West Chester |
9-4 |
105 |
| 21 |
Edinboro |
9-2 |
99 |
| 22 |
Glenville St. (W.Va.) |
8-3 |
82 |
| 23 |
Tusculum (Tenn.) |
9-4 |
80 |
| 24 |
Fayetteville St. (N.C.) |
8-2 |
78 |
| 25 |
Central Missouri |
7-4 |
72 |
Others Receiving Votes: Catawba (N.C.), 70; Southern Connecticut St., 49; Michigan Tech, 42; Wayne St. (Neb.), 41; Texas A&M-Commerce, 38; Tarleton St. (Texas), 37; Indiana (Pa.), 35; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 33; Augustana (S.D.), 30; Colorado School of Mines, 30; Nebraska-Omaha, 28; Washburn (Kan.), 22; Wayne St. (Mich.), 21; Nebraska-Kearney, 20; Missouri S&T, 19; Arkansas-Monticello, 17; St. Cloud State (Minn.), 15; Southeastern Oklahoma St., 12; Wingate (N.C.), 11; North Carolina-Pembroke, 10; Missouri Western St., 6; Seton Hill (Pa.), 6; Charleston (W.Va.), 5; American International (Mass.), 4; Arkansas Tech, 4; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 4; Midwestern St. (Texas), 3; Western Oregon, 1. Winona St. (Minn.), 26; St. Augustine’s (N.C.), 25; Tarleton St. (Texas), 22; Humboldt St. (Calif.), 20; Nebraska-Kearney, 12; C.W. Post (N.Y.), 9; Catawba (N.C.), 9; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 9; Central Washington, 8; Ferris St. (Mich.), 7; Wingate (N.C.), 7; Arkansas Tech, 5; Bowie St. (Md.), 5; Mary (N.D.), 5; Henderson St. (Ark.), 4; North Greenville (S.C.), 3; Western Washington, 3; Kentucky St., 2; Minnesota-Duluth, 2; Lane (Tenn.), 1; Merrimack (Mass.), 1; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 1.
