FCS Coaches Top 25 |

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Eastern Illinois football ended the regular season ranked No. 2 in the FCS Coaches poll released on Monday afternoon. The Panthers were also ranked No. 2 in the final regular season Sports Network poll released on Sunday morning prior to the FCS Playoff announcement.

The Panthers finished the regular season at 11-1, 8-0 in the OVC. They became the first team in school history to post 11 regular season wins and the fourth in Ohio Valley Conference history. EIU was selected as the number two seed in the FCS playoff field and will host the winner of the Butler / Tennessee State contest on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. at O'Brien Field. Tickets for the FCS playoffs are now on sale by calling 217-581-2106 or online at www.eiupanthertickets.com

North Dakota State finished the season as the number one ranked team as the Bison were the only undefeated team at the FCS level. EIU was second followed by Eastern Washington in third. Those three teams also represent the top three seeds in the FCS playoff field.

Southeastern Louisiana which was selected as the number four seed in the FCS playoffs was ranked seventh in the FCS Coaches poll. Towson was ranked fourth followed by Montana in fifth and McNeese State in sixth. Maine, Northern Arizona and Fordham rounded out the top ten.

Coastal Carolina was 11th followed by Bethune-Cookman, South Dakota State, Sam Houston State, New Hampshire, Samford, Tennessee State, Montana State, Youngstown State, Charleston Southern, Jacksonville State, Chattanooga, Lehigh and Southern Utah completing the ranked teams.

Five unranked teams made the FCS playoff field but all were listed among the teams also receiving votes. South Carolina State, Sacred Heart, Butler, Furman and Lafayette were all in the field. Four of the five made the field as their conferences automatic qualifier. Only South Carolina State was selected as an at-large that was not nationally ranked in the FCS Coaches Poll. South Carolina State is ranked 25th in the Sports Network rankings.

The eight first round games kick off this Saturday with the winners advancing to play the top eight seeded teams in the playoff field on Dec. 7.