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Add Comment Sep 19, 2010
OGDEN, UTAH (Aug. 23, 2010) - Five Big Sky Conference teams will begin the 2010 season ranked in the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches poll.
The University of Montana, winners of 12 straight Big Sky championships, is picked No. 2, behind defending national champion Villanova of the Colonial Athletic Association. Villanova beat the Grizzlies 23-21 in the 2009 Division I National Championship Game. Eastern Washington (14), Weber State (18), Northern Arizona (23) and Montana State (24) were also ranked in the poll, which features two voting coaches from each of the 14 FCS conferences.
Eastern Washington earned 327 total points. Beau Baldwins Eagles finished 8-4 in 2009, losing to Stephen F. Austin in the first round of the playoffs. Weber State, a playoff participant each of the last two seasons, earned 186 total points. Northern Arizona closed the 2009 season 5-6, but earned 87 total points to crack the top 25. Montana State, 7-5 a year ago under Rob Ash, garnered 86 points. Eastern Washington, Weber State and Montana State were also ranked in The Sports Network/Fathead.com preseason poll.
The Big Skys five teams ranked only second to the Colonial, which had six teams in the top 19. Three Missouri Valley teams cracked the top 25. The Southland, Southern, Ohio Valley and Patriot League are all represented by two teams.
Northern Arizona and Eastern Washington both begin the 2010 season on Thursday, Sept. 2. Montana, Weber State, Montana State and the other four Big Sky squads open on Saturday, Sept. 4.
The 2010 FCS playoff field expands to 20 teams, with eight teams playing first-round games on Saturday, Nov. 27. The Division I national championship game will be played on Jan. 7, 2011, in Frisco, Texas.
FCS Coaches
Preseason Top 25
Team (1st votes) 2009 Points
1. VILLANOVA (22) 14-1 667
2. MONTANA (2) 14-1 632
3. APPALACHIAN STATE 4) 11-3 622
4. WILLIAM & MARY 11-3 587
5. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 11-2 551
6. RICHMOND 11-2 484
7. ELON 9-3 474
8. STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 10-3 413
9. NEW HAMPSHIRE 10-3 409
10. SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 8-4 403
11. MCNEESE STATE 9-3 376
12. SOUTH CAROLINA St. 10-2 341
13. NORTHERN IOWA 7-4 333
14. EASTERN WASHINGTON 8-4 327
15. JAMES MADISON 6-5 290
16. EASTERN ILLINOIS 8-4 236
17. JACKSONVILLE STATE 8-3 208
18. WEBER STATE 7-5 186
19. DELAWARE 6-5 185
20. LIBERTY 8-3 171
21. PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 9-1 135
22. COLGATE 9-2 98
23. NORTHERN ARIZONA 5-6 87
24. MONTANA STATE 7-4 85
T25. CAL POLY 5-7 66
T25. HOLY CROSS 9-3 66
Other receiving votes (points in parentheses): Penn (60), Illinois St. (54), Texas St. (53), Florida A&M (44), Furman (36), E. Kentucky (35), Wofford (35), UC Davis (32), UMass (24), Ga. Southern (23), Alabama A&M (22), Jackson St. (19), Maine (19), Alcorn St. (17), SE Louisiana (16), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (16), Southern (15), C. Arkansas (14), Morgan State (14), Hampton (12), Bethune-Cookman (11), Harvard (10), Missouri St. (10), Nicholls St. (10), Sam Houston St. (9), Grambling (8), Alabama St. (6), Lehigh (8), Youngstown St. (6), Texas Southern (5), Albany (4), Lafayette (4), Butler (3), Miss. Valley St. (3), Southern Utah (3), Central Conn. St. (2), Stony Brook (2), Chattanooga (1), Gardner-Webb (1)
-Utah College Sports News staff and wire reports
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