The publication's top 25 rankings are consolidated from preseason national reports by College Sporting News, Lindy's, The Sporting News, Athlon, Phil Steele, and the Sports Network. College Sporting News is the largest and oldest news service solely devoted to publishing original content and other information of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
The College Sports News rankings also demonstrate the challenging schedule the Bearkats face this fall with five Sam Houston opponents ranked among the top 40. The five are No. 14 Central Arkansas, No. 16 McNeese State, No. 20 Stephen F. Austin, No. 22 Western Illinois and No. 33 Northwestern State.
Sam Houston returns 10 starters on offense and nine on defense from a team that won six of its last nine games last season and tied for third place in the Southland Conference.
The Bearkats open the season Thursday, Sept. 1, with the WIU Leathernecks in a 6 p.m. contest at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium. The contest is the first of six home games this season at Sam Houston State.
Tickets for all Sam Houston home contests plus the "Battle of the Piney Woods" rivalry game with SFA at Reliant Stadium in Houston are on sale online now at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the Sam Houston athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.
The College Sporting News NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision preseason national rankings are:
1. Eastern Washington (143)
2. William & Mary (139)
3. Appalachian St. (138)
4. Georgia Southern (135)
5T. Delaware (123)
5T. Montana St. (123)
7. Northern Iowa (119)
8. Wofford (101)
9. New Hampshire (82)
10. Montana (76)
11. Jacksonville St. (75)
12T. Lehigh (53)
12T. Southern Illinois (53)
14. Central Arkansas (50)
15. North Dakota St. (49)
16. McNeese St. (44)
17. Richmond (41)
18. Villanova (40)
19. James Madison (38)
20. Stephen F. Austin (34)
21. Murray St. (29)
22T. Chattanooga (27)
22T. Sacramento St. (27)
22T. Western Illinois (27)
25. Liberty (25)
26. Southern Utah (22)
27. Penn (21)
28T. Bethune-Cookman (17)
28T. South Carolina St. (17)
28T. Massachusetts (17)
31. Stony Brook (11)
32. Southeast Missouri St. (10)
33. Northwestern St. (5)
34T. Eastern Kentucky (4)
34T. Florida A&M (4)
34T. Sam Houston St. (4)
37T. Colgate (3)
37T. Indiana St. (3)
39T. Grambling St. (2)
39T. Harvard (2)
39T. UC Davis (2)
41T. Jackson St. (1)
41T. Jacksonville (1)
The full detailed listing may be found at http://www.collegesportingnews.com/content.php?500-2011-FCS-Consolidated-Preseason-Ranking
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