NDSU Preseason No. 1 in Stats Perform FCS Top 25; Central Arkansas 11th

CHICAGO - North Dakota State was the unanimous No. 1 pick in the preseason Stats Perform FCS Top 25 released Tuesday, Aug. 25. NDSU captured all 147 first-place votes from a national panel of sports information directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries.

The Bison are coming off a third straight NCAA FCS national championship and the program's eighth title in nine seasons. NDSU went 16-0 last year and carries a 37-game winning streak into an Oct. 3 home game with 11th-ranked Central Arkansas. National runner-up James Madison was second in the preseason poll.

The Missouri Valley Football Conference, which is planning to play an eight-game conference schedule in the spring of 2021, had five teams ranked. Northern Iowa checked in at No. 3, South Dakota State was fifth, Illinois State ninth and Southern Illinois 24th.

North Dakota State returns nine offensive starters and five defensive starters from last year's team including sophomore quarterback Trey Lance, the 2019 Stats Perform Walter Payton Award winner as the FCS offensive player of the year.

Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25 (Aug. 25, 2020)

Team (First-Place Votes)	2019 Record	Points	Final 2019 Rank
1. North Dakota State (147)	16-0, 8-0 Missouri Valley	3,675	1
2. James Madison	14-2, 8-0 Colonial	3,411	2
3. Northern Iowa	10-5, 6-2 Missouri Valley	3,269	5
4. Weber State	11-4, 7-1 Big Sky	3,198	3
5. South Dakota State	8-5, 5-3 Missouri Valley	2,911	10
6. Montana State	11-4, 6-2 Big Sky	2,884	4
7. Montana	10-4, 6-2 Big Sky	2,753	6
8. Villanova	9-4, 5-3 Colonial	2,499	15
9. Illinois State	10-5, 5-3 Missouri Valley	2,471	7
10. Kennesaw State	11-3, 5-1 Big South	2,178	13
11. Central Arkansas	9-4, 7-2 Southland	2,093	11
12. Sacramento State	9-4, 7-1 Big Sky	2,085	9
13. Austin Peay	11-4, 7-1 Ohio Valley	2,030	8
14. Nicholls State	9-5, 7-2 Southland	1,392	14
15. Furman	8-5, 6-2 Southern	1,239	21
16. Wofford	8-4, 7-1 Southern	1,089	16
17. Albany	9-5, 6-2 Colonial	825	18
18. Eastern Washington	7-5, 6-2 Big Sky	817	RV
19. North Carolina A&T	9-3, 6-2 Mid-Eastern	809	20
20. New Hampshire	6-5, 5-3 Colonial	759	RV
21. Southeastern Louisiana	8-5, 6-3 Southland	652	19
22. Sam Houston State	7-5, 6-3 Southland	597	NR
23. Monmouth	11-3, 6-0 Big South	577	12
24. Southern Illinois	7-5, 5-3 Missouri Valley	568	RV
25. Southeast Missouri State	9-4, 7-1 Ohio Valley	499	17

Others receiving votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Jacksonville State 357, Florida A&M 301, The Citadel 283, Central Connecticut State 200, Towson 199, Dartmouth 195, Delaware 193, Yale 193, Princeton 143, San Diego 104, North Dakota 66, South Carolina State 25, Alcorn State 22, Houston Baptist 19, Richmond 18, Chattanooga 16, Elon 15, Holy Cross 15, Incarnate Word 15, Tennessee-Martin 14, Portland State 12, Youngstown State 12, McNeese State 10, UC Davis 9, Maine 7, Duquesne 5, Charleston Southern 4, Eastern Kentucky 2.

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