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The Hero Preseason Poll is out. More than a tad early, and overpricing my Hornets at the current time, IMO, though I do like our chances this year....

2024 HERO Sports FCS Preseason Top 25

1. SD State (3 1st-Place Votes)
2. ND State
3. Montana
4. Montana State
5. South Dakota
6. Villanova
7. Idaho
8. Sacramento State
9. S. Illinois
10. TN-Chattanooga
11. C. Arkansas
12. UIW
13. Richmond
14. Furman
15. UAlbany
16. W. Carolina
17. William & Mary
18. Tarleton State
19. Delaware
20. Lafayette
21. UC Davis
22. Weber State
23. Youngstown State
24. IL State
25. E. Illinois

Received votes (ordered from most voting points to least):

Nicholls State
Elon
TN-Martin

https://furmanpaladins.com/news/2024/5/ ... -poll.aspx

Portland State faces 8 of the top 25 and 6 of the top 10. Throw in the 2 FBS games, that only leaves Idaho State and Northern Colorado as our so-called gimme games (far from gimme, that is for sure).

2024 FCS Coaches Poll

1. S. Dakota St.
2. Montana
3. N. Dakota St.
4. South Dakota
5. Idaho
6. Furman
7. Albany
8. Montana St.
9. Villanova
10. Florida A&M
11. Delaware
12. Austin Peay
13. S. Illinois
14. Incarnate Word
15. Sacramento St.
16. North Dakota
17. Chattanooga
18. NC Central
19. Lafayette
20. Mercer
21. Youngstown St.
22. Richmond
23. UT Martin
24. E. Illinois
25. Holy Cross

Others Receiving Votes
UC Davis (28); Harvard (14); Gardner-Webb (11); Tarleton State (8); Western Carolina (7); Central Arkansas (7); Nicholls (7); Illinois State (6); Yale (4) ; William & Mary (3); Samford (2); Rhode Island (2); Bryant (1)

2024 STATS PERFORM FCS TOP 25

1 South Dakota State (56)
2 Montana
3 North Dakota State
4 South Dakota
5 UAlbany
6 Villanova
7 Furman
8 Idaho
9 Montana State
10 Delaware
11 Florida A&M
12 Southern Illinois
13 Sacramento State
14 Chattanooga
15 Richmond
16 North Dakota
17 Mercer
18 Austin Peay
19 Youngstown State
20 North Carolina Central
21 Lafayette
22 UIW
23 Western Carolina
24 UC Davis
25 UT Martin

Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Gardner-Webb 60, Tarleton 52, Nicholls 45, Northern Iowa 41, Holy Cross 35, Drake 21, Harvard 18, Central Arkansas 17, Eastern Illinois 16, Duquesne 10, Yale 4.

A big tease meaning Delaware being eligible to be ranked in these polls, but not eligible for the playoffs.

Caribbean Hen wrote: ↑Wed Jun 12, 2024 9:25 am A big tease meaning Delaware being eligible to be ranked in these polls, but not eligible for the playoffs.

Kind of like the Ivies.

UNI88 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 13, 2024 3:50 pm

Caribbean Hen wrote: ↑Wed Jun 12, 2024 9:25 am A big tease meaning Delaware being eligible to be ranked in these polls, but not eligible for the playoffs.

Kind of like the Ivies.

Kind of

But I haven’t heard any talk of any Ivy league teams, or the entire conference, moving up, I guess they’re content being relegated to division 2 football.

No matter how you slice it, with Portland State playing Montana, Montana State, Idaho, Sac State, Weber and Davis, along with a non-conference slate that includes Chattanooga and South Dakota, that is a tough schedule.

Caribbean Hen wrote: ↑Fri Jun 14, 2024 5:16 am

UNI88 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 13, 2024 3:50 pm
Kind of like the Ivies.

Kind of

But I haven’t heard any talk of any Ivy league teams, or the entire conference, moving up, I guess they’re content being relegated to division 2 football.

Is that better or worse than being in the conference of misfit toys?

Caribbean Hen wrote: ↑Fri Jun 14, 2024 5:16 am

UNI88 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 13, 2024 3:50 pm

Kind of like the Ivies.

Kind of

But I haven’t heard any talk of any Ivy league teams, or the entire conference, moving up, I guess they’re content being relegated to division 2 football.

The Ivies are moving down?

UNI88 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 14, 2024 8:04 am

Caribbean Hen wrote: ↑Fri Jun 14, 2024 5:16 am

Kind of

But I haven’t heard any talk of any Ivy league teams, or the entire conference, moving up, I guess they’re content being relegated to division 2 football.

Is that better or worse than being in the conference of misfit toys?

Misfit toys become the new 1AA super Conference

N Iowa would fit just fine

G5 needs a playoff

Caribbean Hen wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 7:03 am

UNI88 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 14, 2024 8:04 am
Is that better or worse than being in the conference of misfit toys?

Misfit toys become the new 1AA super Conference

N Iowa would fit just fine

G5 needs a playoff

The Sunbelt would be the "new 1AA super Conference" and it isn't the conference of misfit toys.

N Iowa would go MAC before CUSA.

UNI88 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 12:45 pm

Caribbean Hen wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 7:03 am

Misfit toys become the new 1AA super Conference

N Iowa would fit just fine

G5 needs a playoff

The Sunbelt would be the "new 1AA super Conference" and it isn't the conference of misfit toys.

N Iowa would go MAC before CUSA.

Ok

What I meant to say was G5 is pretty much the new 1AA super lower level of college football but needs a playoff system

Caribbean Hen wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 4:21 pm

UNI88 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 12:45 pm
The Sunbelt would be the "new 1AA super Conference" and it isn't the conference of misfit toys.

N Iowa would go MAC before CUSA.

Ok

What I meant to say was G5 is pretty much the new 1AA super lower level of college football but needs a playoff system

You might be right.

UNI needs to get it's athletic department headed in the right direction again before it can even consider a move. Steps have been taken but there are more needed. Even then I'm not sure spending more money is the right direction.

UNI88 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 5:12 pm

Caribbean Hen wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 4:21 pm

Ok

What I meant to say was G5 is pretty much the new 1AA super lower level of college football but needs a playoff system

You might be right.

UNI needs to get it's athletic department headed in the right direction again before it can even consider a move. Steps have been taken but there are more needed. Even then I'm not sure spending more money is the right direction.

EWU and UNI are identical twins in this regard.

Will the G5 need to be adding teams beyond the Montana’s and Dakotas and other well healed programs that can afford it. And as of last season Montana’s AD said there was no way they could afford to move up with new funding requirements.

kalm wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 8:55 pm

UNI88 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 5:12 pm
You might be right.

UNI needs to get it's athletic department headed in the right direction again before it can even consider a move. Steps have been taken but there are more needed. Even then I'm not sure spending more money is the right direction.

EWU and UNI are identical twins in this regard.

Will the G5 need to be adding teams beyond the Montana’s and Dakotas and other well healed programs that can afford it. And as of last season Montana’s AD said there was no way they could afford to move up with new funding requirements.

No one knows what will happen if the Px pull football out from under NCAA supervision. Will the NCAA continue to control football at the remaining schools? Will Gx requirements stay the same? Go up? Go down?

UNI88 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 9:54 pm

kalm wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 8:55 pm

EWU and UNI are identical twins in this regard.

Will the G5 need to be adding teams beyond the Montana’s and Dakotas and other well healed programs that can afford it. And as of last season Montana’s AD said there was no way they could afford to move up with new funding requirements.

No one knows what will happen if the Px pull football out from under NCAA supervision. Will the NCAA continue to control football at the remaining schools? Will Gx requirements stay the same? Go up? Go down?

Yep. That’s why I think it was wise of the schools who didn’t make the jump over the past few years. Plus there’s been declining enrollment for over a decade. Many schools are overbuilt and there’s pressure on state funding.

It’s a tough time to be aspirational with out knowing for sure where you’ll eventually land.

kalm wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 8:55 pm

UNI88 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 5:12 pm

You might be right.

UNI needs to get it's athletic department headed in the right direction again before it can even consider a move. Steps have been taken but there are more needed. Even then I'm not sure spending more money is the right direction.

EWU and UNI are identical twins in this regard.

Will the G5 need to be adding teams beyond the Montana’s and Dakotas and other well healed programs that can afford it. And as of last season Montana’s AD said there was no way they could afford to move up with new funding requirements.

Don’t forget that 5 million either… I guess that fee was an attempt to prevent a mass exodus?

Caribbean Hen wrote: ↑Thu Jun 20, 2024 7:33 am

kalm wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 8:55 pm

EWU and UNI are identical twins in this regard.

Will the G5 need to be adding teams beyond the Montana’s and Dakotas and other well healed programs that can afford it. And as of last season Montana’s AD said there was no way they could afford to move up with new funding requirements.

Don’t forget that 5 million either… I guess that fee was an attempt to prevent a mass exodus?

I’d think more to prevent programs who don’t belong with the G5. Idaho is a good historical example.

UNI88 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 5:12 pm

Caribbean Hen wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 4:21 pm

Ok

What I meant to say was G5 is pretty much the new 1AA super lower level of college football but needs a playoff system

You might be right.

UNI needs to get it's athletic department headed in the right direction again before it can even consider a move. Steps have been taken but there are more needed. Even then I'm not sure spending more money is the right direction.

UNI/Dannen fucked up in the 09-11 time frame.

We had it all set up to happen and just never crossed the finish line with it for...reasons.

I'm not sure it would have been a good move or not for the health of the department, but it wouldn't have us worse than we are right now.

clenz wrote: ↑Thu Jun 20, 2024 9:40 am

UNI88 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2024 5:12 pm
You might be right.

UNI needs to get it's athletic department headed in the right direction again before it can even consider a move. Steps have been taken but there are more needed. Even then I'm not sure spending more money is the right direction.

UNI/Dannen fucked up in the 09-11 time frame.

We had it all set up to happen and just never crossed the finish line with it for...reasons.

I'm not sure it would have been a good move or not for the health of the department, but it wouldn't have us worse than we are right now.

I'm not sure either. Did/do we have leadership and enough support from the state and BoR to succeed in FBS? If it had happened, watching bizumb fans' lose their sh!t on various boards would have been extremely entertaining.

The Dannen/Harris years were not good for UNI athletics. Hopefully the new AD puts us on a better path.

UNI88 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 04, 2024 11:31 am 2024 FCS Coaches Poll

1. S. Dakota St.
2. Montana
3. N. Dakota St.
4. South Dakota
5. Idaho
6. Furman
7. Albany
8. Montana St.
9. Villanova
10. Florida A&M
11. Delaware
12. Austin Peay
13. S. Illinois
14. Incarnate Word
15. Sacramento St.
16. North Dakota
17. Chattanooga
18. NC Central
19. Lafayette
20. Mercer
21. Youngstown St.
22. Richmond
23. UT Martin
24. E. Illinois
25. Holy Cross

Others Receiving Votes
UC Davis (28); Harvard (14); Gardner-Webb (11); Tarleton State (8); Western Carolina (7); Central Arkansas (7); Nicholls (7); Illinois State (6); Yale (4) ; William & Mary (3); Samford (2); Rhode Island (2); Bryant (1)

Good to see the coaches remember my Alma Mater at #18 plus the SWAC CHAMPS at #10

UNI88 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 04, 2024 11:34 am 2024 STATS PERFORM FCS TOP 25

1 South Dakota State (56)
2 Montana
3 North Dakota State
4 South Dakota
5 UAlbany
6 Villanova
7 Furman
8 Idaho
9 Montana State
10 Delaware
11 Florida A&M
12 Southern Illinois
13 Sacramento State
14 Chattanooga
15 Richmond
16 North Dakota
17 Mercer
18 Austin Peay
19 Youngstown State
20 North Carolina Central
21 Lafayette
22 UIW
23 Western Carolina
24 UC Davis
25 UT Martin

Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Gardner-Webb 60, Tarleton 52, Nicholls 45, Northern Iowa 41, Holy Cross 35, Drake 21, Harvard 18, Central Arkansas 17, Eastern Illinois 16, Duquesne 10, Yale 4.

Good to see the MEAC&SWAC on the list

JALMOND wrote: ↑Fri Jun 14, 2024 7:05 am No matter how you slice it, with Portland State playing Montana, Montana State, Idaho, Sac State, Weber and Davis, along with a non-conference slate that includes Chattanooga and South Dakota, that is a tough schedule.

Welp. Good luck this season!

kalm wrote: ↑Thu Jun 20, 2024 7:35 am

Caribbean Hen wrote: ↑Thu Jun 20, 2024 7:33 am

Don’t forget that 5 million either… I guess that fee was an attempt to prevent a mass exodus?

I’d think more to prevent programs who don’t belong with the G5. Idaho is a good historical example.

Agreed. There are a lot of D1 Football programs, and now that the Power 4 dust has settled/updated Sun Belt & updated AAC, seems like they’re set, and imposed a “penalty” to deter any disruption.