Link To Poll

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Eastern Illinois was one of five Ohio Valley Conference football teams listed in the Top 25 or receiving votes as the FCS Coaches Poll was released on Monday morning. The Panthers were listed 41st overall receiving 22 votes in the poll.

EIU will open the season Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. against Illinois State. The Panthers are coming off a 5-7 season. EIU was predicted to finish third in the preseason OVC Coaches poll receiving two first place votes.

Other OVC schools receiving votes included Jacksonville State which was the lone OVC school ranked at No. 19, Eastern Kentucky, UT Martin and Tennessee State. The Gamecocks are ineligible for the NCAA FCS playoffs this season due to an NCAA APR penalty but may be ranked in both national polls.

Appalachian State received 13 first place votes and 665 total points to open the season as the preseason number one. Defending national champion Richmond had ten first place votes and 660 points to open the season at number two. Montana, which lost to Richmond in last year's championship game, did not receive a first place vote but still opens the season at No. 3

Northern Iowa and Villanova both received one first place vote to open the year at number four and five. They were followed by James Madison, Southern Illinois, New Hampshire, Weber State and Wofford to round out the top ten.

Elon led off the next set of schools ranked 11th with Central Arkansas, Cal Poly, William & Mary and McNeese State landing in spots 12 through 15. South Carolina State was 16th followed by Eastern Washington, Massachusetts, Jacksonville State and Maine. Massachusetts was the only other school with a first place vote.

The final five schools were led by Texas State at 21, Harvard, South Dakota State, Hofstra and Grambling State rounding out list.