Mid-South Conference Releases Football Pre-season Coaches' Polls
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.), Reinhardt University (Ga.) and Southeastern University (Fla.) are the favorites to capture their divisions again in 2018, according to the Mid-South Conference Football Preseason Coaches' Polls, MSC officials announced on Thursday, August 2.
All three schools captured their respective division in 2017 -- the inaugural season of the three-division Mid-South Conference. Reinhardt and Southeastern each received 36 voting points from the coaches within their divisions. Lindsey Wilson picked up 35 voting points from the coaches in its division.
Coaches voted only within their division and were not allowed to vote for their own team in the poll.
APPALACHIAN DIVISION
Reinhardt received six of the seven first-place votes to sit atop the Appalachian Division poll. The Eagles reached the NAIA Football Championship Series national championship game in 2017 en route to a 12-1 record. Reinhardt owns three divisional titles, including winning the Appalachian last season.
Bluefield College (Va.) is second in the Appalachian preseason poll with 30 voting points and claimed the final first-place vote. University of Pikeville (Ky.) is third with 27 voting points. University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) checks in at fourth place in the poll with 17 voting points, followed by Union College (Ky.) with 15 points. Point University (Ga.) is sixth in the preseason poll with 12 voting points, and St. Andrews University (N.C.) completes the Appalachian Division with 10 voting points.
Coached by Julius Dixon, Point finished the 2017 season with a 3-8 overall record and was 1-5 against Appalachian Division opponents. Point edged Pikeville, 34-31, and lost by just three to Bluefield, 36-33, in divisional games, and defeated Webber International, 10-7, and Ave Maria, 40-17, in interdivisional games last season.
APPALACHIAN DIVISION | ||||
Pos. | Team | Points (First Place Votes) | 2017 Division Record | 2017 Overall Record |
1. | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 36 (6) | 6-0 | 12-1 |
2. | Bluefield (Va.) | 30 (1) | 4-2 | 6-5 |
3. | Pikeville (Ky.) | 27 | 3-3 | 5-6 |
4. | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 17 | 3-3 | 6-4 |
5. | Union (Ky.) | 15 | 3-3 | 5-5 |
6. | Point (Ga.) | 12 | 1-5 | 3-8 |
7. | St. Andrews (N.C.) | 10 | 1-5 | 2-8 |
BLUEGRASS DIVISION
Lindsey Wilson garnered five of the seven first-place votes to lead the way in the Bluegrass Division preseason poll. The Blue Raiders reached the NAIA Football Championship Series quarterfinals a season ago. Lindsey Wilson ended 2017 with an 11-1 overall record while securing its second divisional title.
Georgetown (Ky.) is second in the Bluegrass with 32 voting points, including the final two first-place votes. The Tigers also reached the NAIA Football Championship Series quarterfinals last season en route to a 9-2 overall record.
Campbellsville (Ky.) is third in the poll with 26 voting points. Cumberland (Tenn.) and Bethel (Tenn.) are fourth and fifth with 19 and 18 voting points, respectively. Kentucky Christian is sixth in the poll with 11 points while Cincinnati Christian (Ohio) is seventh with six voting points.
BLUEGRASS DIVISION | ||||
Pos. | Team | Points (First Place Votes) | 2017 Division Record | 2017 Overall Record |
1. | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 35 (5) | 6-0 | 11-1 |
2. | Georgetown (Ky.) | 32 (2) | 5-1 | 9-2 |
3. | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 26 | 4-2 | 8-2 |
4. | Cumberland (Tenn.) | 19 | 3-3 | 7-4 |
5. | Bethel (Tenn.) | 18 | 2-4 | 3-7 |
6. | Kentucky Christian | 11 | 1-5 | 1-10 |
7. | Cincinnati Christian (Ohio) | 6 | 0-6 | 0-11 |
SUN DIVISION
Southeastern received six of the seven first-place votes to sit atop the Sun Division preseason poll. The Fire earned their second straight NAIA Football Championship Series berth last season after capturing their first MSC divisional crown.
Faulkner (Ala.) is second in the polling with 29 voting points and the final first-place vote. Webber International (Fla.) checks in at third in the poll with 24 voting points followed by Warner (Fla.) with 21 points.
First-year program Keiser (Fla.) is fifth in the preseason poll with 16 voting points. The Seahawks addition to the Sun Division gives the MSC 21 football teams spread equally across the three divisions.
Ave Maria (Fla.) is sixth in the polling with 12 voting points followed by Edward Waters (Fla.) with nine voting points.
SUN DIVISION | ||||
Pos. | Team | Points (First Place Votes) | 2017 Division Record | 2017 Overall Record |
1. | Southeastern (Fla.) | 36 (6) | 5-0 | 8-2 |
2. | Faulkner (Ala.) | 29 (1) | 4-1 | 7-3 |
3. | Webber International (Fla.) | 24 | 3-2 | 5-4 |
4. | Warner (Fla.) | 21 | 2-3 | 4-6 |
5. | * Keiser (Fla.) | 16 | N/A * | N/A * |
6. | Ave Maria (Fla.) | 12 | 1-4 | 2-8 |
7. | Edward Waters (Fla.) | 9 | 0-5 | 0-10 |
* First year of competition | ||||
The 2018 season begins on Thursday, Aug. 23, with a pair of Mid-South Conference interdivisional games – NAIA national runner-up Reinhardt University meets Bethel University (Tenn.) in McKenzie, Tenn., at 7 p.m. Eastern time, and Union College hosts Cincinnati Christian University at 7 p.m. Eastern time.
The season's first week concludes on Saturday, Aug. 25, with seven more interdivisional games. Point University takes on Ave Maria University (Fla.) in an interdivisional game at 11 a.m., in Ave Maria, Fla.; and Kentucky Christian University hosts Webber International University (Fla.) in Grayson, Ky., at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. Georgetown College (Ky.) hosts Warner University (Fla.) at 1:30 Eastern time; and Campbellsville University (Ky.) hosts Faulkner University (Ala.) at 1:30 p.m.
Bluefield College (Va.) hosts Cumberland University (Tenn.) at 6 p.m. Eastern time; and Edward Waters College (Fla.) hosts St. Andrews University (N.C.) in Jacksonville, at 6 p.m. Southeastern University hosts University of the Cumberlands in Lakeland, Fla., at 7 p.m. Eastern time.