Aug. 27, 2009

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The Sports Network released its preseason Division I Football Championship Subdivsion poll Wednesday afternoon, with Samford receiving votes in the poll.

Eight of the nine Southern Conference teams received votes in the poll. Samford earned 49 points, good for 45th in the voting.

The SoCon placed two teams in the top 10 and three in the top 15 of the poll. Appalachian State is the preseason No. 1 team, while Wofford is ranked 10th and Elon 11th.

Georgia Southern (335 pts.-26th), Furman (171 pts.-35th), Samford (49 pts.-45th), Western Carolina (14 pts.-59th) and The Citadel (10 pts.-T-62nd) also received votes in the poll.

Jacksonville University, a non-conference opponent on Samford's 2009 schedule, received 16 points, tying them for 55th in the voting. In all, eight of Samford's nine FCS opponents are receiving votes in the preseason poll.

Samford is one of three teams from the state of Alabama receiving votes in the poll. Jacksonville State is ranked 21st, while Alabama A&M received two points in the voting.

Samford opens the 2009 season on Saturday, Sept. 5, when the Bulldogs travel to Orlando, Fla., to take on the UCF Knights. The game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. (CT) start from Bright House Networks Stadium.

Sports Network Preseason Poll
Team (1st-place votes), Pts.
1. Appalachian State (79), 3,853
2. Richmond (72), 3,792
3. Montana (2), 3,506
4. Northern Iowa (2), 3,408
5. Villanova (2), 3,285
6. James Madison (1), 3,069
7. Southern Illinois, 2,897
8. New Hampshire, 2,544
9. Weber State (1), 2,525
10. Wofford, 2,169
11. Elon, 2,162
12. Cal Poly, 1,780
13. Central Arkansas, 1,670
14. William & Mary, 1,635
15. McNeese State, 1,453
16. South Carolina State (1), 1,379
17. Massachusetts, 1,055
18. Eastern Washington, 1,038
19. Maine, 1,033
20. Texas State, 860
21. Jacksonville State, 808
22. South Dakota State, 707
23. Harvard, 504
24. Eastern Kentucky, 394
25. Grambling State, 382
25. Holy Cross, 382

Others receiving votes: Georgia Southern 335, Liberty 330, Colgate 319, North Dakota State 252, Montana State 217, Hofstra 206, Delaware 202, Florida A&M 194, Tennessee-Martin 192, Furman 171, Northern Arizona 169, Youngstown State 145, Eastern Illinois 93, Albany 64, UC Davis 63, Western Illinois 61, Penn 56, Coastal Carolina 52, Prairie View A&M 52, Samford 49, Tennessee State 47, Jackson State 46, Southern 39, Hampton 38, Bethune-Cookman 37, Brown 32, Northwestern State 30, San Diego 20, Lafayette 17, Delaware State 16, Jacksonville 16, Lehigh 16, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 15, Western Carolina 14, Charleston Southern 12, North Dakota 12, Fordham 10, Norfolk State 10, Stony Brook 10, The Citadel 10, Towson 10, Morgan State. 8, Monmouth 5, Yale 4, Alabama A&M 2, Illinois State 2, Missouri State 2, Murray State 2, Presbyterian 2, Gardner-Webb 1, Portland State 1, Robert Morris 1, Southeastern Louisiana 1
**2009 opponents in bold