Carson-Newman Ranked 6th in AFCA Poll

WACO, Tex. - Three South Atlantic Conference football teams start the season nationally ranked in the 2008 preseason American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches' Poll.

Carson-Newman College starts the season ranked sixth. The Eagles earned 466 points and received two first-place votes. Catawba College starts the year ranked 19th, one spot ahead of Newberry College. Tusculum College was one of 28 listed as others receiving votes.

"On paper, we have a lot of key players returning," said Ken Sparks, who enters his 29th season as Eagle Head Coach. "I've never thought rankings mean too much. We have three very tough non-conference opponents to open the season, and I don't think they care too much about our ranking."

One of those opponents, North Alabama, also found itself near the top of the poll. The Lions enter the poll ranked fourth, after a 10-2 campaign on '07.

Carson-Newman hosts UNA on Thursday, Sept. 4 at Burke-Tarr Stadium. Kickoff is at 8 p.m.

Defending national champion Valdosta State took the top spot with 17 first-place votes, followed by Grand Valley State, Northwest Missouri State, UNA, and California (Pa.).

Carson-Newman opens its season on Thursday, Aug. 28 at Concord University in Athens, W.Va. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Newberry finished the 2007 season in the 20th spot after racking up a 9-2 overall record and a 4-2 mark in the South Atlantic Conference. Newberry will face off against three teams that are in the preseason Top 25 in 2008, as well as two teams which received votes in the poll.

Valdosta State University, the defending national champion, is also ranked first in the 2008 preseason poll and will visit Setzler Field for Newberry's season opener on August 30. The Blazers received 17 of 26 first place votes and earned 627 points in the poll.

On September 20, Newberry travels west to play Midwestern State University, which finished 2007 in the 25th spot in the poll and received received nine votes in the preseason poll.

Newberry opens the South Atlantic Conference slate with Carson-Newman College, which is ranked No. 6 in the 2008 preseason poll with 466 points in the poll. The Eagles also received two first-place votes, the third most of any team in the nation. The following week, Newberry hosts Catawba, which is ranked one spot ahead of the scarlet and gray at 19th with 165 points, just two more than Newberry.

The Tusculum Pioneers are the last of Newberry's opponents that received votes in the poll, earning 14 points. Newberry travels to Greeneville, Tenn., on October 25.

The Pioneers garnered 14 total points and are one of four South Atlantic Conference teams mentioned in this year's inaugural poll. After starting the 2007 campaign 0-3, the Pioneers rebounded by winning six of their final eight outings, including a 4-2 league mark to finish tied for third in the SAC.

Tusculum will open its season Aug. 30 when it hosts Charleston for a 1 p.m. contest at Pioneer Field.

American Football Coaches Association
Division II Coaches' Poll
Preseason Poll (Aug. 12)

Rk School (1st) 2007 Rec. Pts. Rank*
1 Valdosta St. Univ. (17) 13-1 627 1
2 Grand Valley St. Univ. (6) 12-1 608 3
3 Northwest Missouri St. Univ. (1) 12-2 596 2
4 Univ. of North Alabama 10-2 517 6
5 California (Pa.) Univ. 13-1 501 4
6 Carson-Newman College (2) 10-1 466 14
7 Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha 10-1 453 7
8 Abilene Christian Univ. 10-3 405 15
9 Chadron St. College 12-1 382 5
10 West Texas A&M Univ. 12-1 337 8
11 Central Washington Univ. 10-3 281 11
12 Delta St. Univ. 10-2 274 10
13 Shepherd Univ. 10-2 268 13
14 Tuskegee Univ. 12-0 256 16
15 Ashland Univ. 8-2 246 22
16 West Chester Univ. (Pa.) 9-3 213 17
17 Pittsburg St. Univ. 8-3 190 NR
18 Texas A&M Univ.-Commerce 5-6 166 NR
19 Catawba College 11-2 165 12
20 Newberry College 9-2 163 20
21 Indiana (Pa.) Univ. 9-3 155 18
22 Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth 4-6 154 NR
23 Mesa St. College 10-2 119 19
24 Southern Connecticut St. Univ. 9-4 103 NR
25T Bloomsburg (Pa.) Univ. 7-3 95 NR
25T Virginia Union Univ. 9-3 95 NR
*- Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2007

Others Receiving Votes: Saginaw Valley St. Univ. 82; Winona St. Univ. 81; Albany St. Univ. 79; Washburn Univ. 64; Tarleton St. Univ. 49; Shaw Univ. 31; Southeastern Oklahoma St. Univ. 29; Missouri Western St. Univ. 23; Bentley College 20; Slippery Rock (Pa.) Univ. 19; Univ. of Central Missouri, 18; Tusculum College 14; Western Oregon Univ. 14; Northwood (Mich.) Univ. 12; LIU-C.W. Post 11; West Liberty St. College 10; Edinboro (Pa.) Univ. 9; Midwestern St. Univ. 9; Henderson St. Univ. 7; Hillsda! ! le College 7; Harding Univ. 6; Univ. of Nebraska-Kearney 6; Missouri S&T 4; Tiffin Univ. 3; Colorado School of Mines 2; Fort Valley St. Univ. 2; Kentucky St. Univ. 2; St. Cloud State Univ. 2.