Sports Network Top 25  |  FCS Coaches Top 25  |

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois returned to the FCS Top 25 polls this week as the Panthers are ranked in both the Sports Network Top 25 and FCS Coaches Top 25 heading into the regular season finale at Central Arkansas.  EIU is ranked No. 24 by Sports Network and No. 25 by the FCS Coaches.

The Panthers are 7-3 on the season having locked up the Ohio Valley Conference regular season title with a 39-20 win over Southeast Missouri.  EIU was 6-1 in the league and will be making its 14th FCS playoff appearance when the pairings are announced on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 12:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPNU.

It marks the first time EIU has been ranked since the second week of the 2010 season when the Panthers fell out of the polls following a 37-7 loss to Central Arkansas.  The Bears come into this weekend's non-conference game ranked 10th in both polls having already clinched an FCS playoff berth by winning the Southland Conference.

North Dakota State is number one in both polls followed by Montana State, Sam Houston State, Old Dominion, Eastern Washington, Georgia Southern, New Hampshire, Appalachian State, Wofford and Central Arkansas in the top ten.

Illinois State is 11th in both polls followed by Stony Brook, James Madison, Lehigh, Northern Arizona, Villanova, Cal Poly, Indiana State, Towson and Richmond in the top twenty.

South Dakota State is No. 21 with Eastern Kentucky 22nd, Tennessee State 23rd with EIU and Bethune-Cookman tied for 24th in the Sports Network rankings.  EIU is ranked No. 25 in the FCS Coaches poll behind Harvard in 24th.