Six CAA Football Teams Ranked In National Polls
Richmond's Brian Brown

Six CAA Football Teams Ranked In National Polls

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Rob Washburn

RICHMOND, Va. (July 18, 2016) – CAA Football has built a reputation as one of the nation’s top FCS conferences each season, and several national publications are expecting that success to continue in 2016.

Athlon, Lindy’s and the Sporting News have each released preseason FCS Top 25 polls in their college football preview magazines,  and six CAA Football squads have received national recognition.

Five teams are among the top 20 in the Athlon poll, with Richmond leading the way at No. 4, followed by William & Mary at No. 13, James Madison at No. 14, Towson at No. 18 and Villanova at No. 20.

In the Lindy’s preseason poll, Richmond tops a group of five CAA teams at No. 5, William & Mary is at No. 7, New Hampshire is at No. 13, Villanova is at No. 16 and James Madison is at No. 18.

Four CAA squads are included in the Sporting News poll as Richmond checks in at No. 3, William & Mary is at No. 6, James Madison is at No. 11 and New Hampshire is at No. 18.

James Madison (9-3), Richmond (10-4) and William & Mary (9-4) shared the CAA Football championship in 2015 with identical 6-2 league marks. All three received berths in the FCS playoffs along with New Hampshire (7-5), which made its 12th consecutive appearance.  The Spiders advanced to the semifinals of the 24-team event.

2016 FCS Preseason Magazine Polls
 
Athlon College Football
1. North Dakota State (13-2, 7-1 Missouri Valley)
2. Sam Houston State (11-4, 7-2 Southland)
3. Northern Iowa (9-5, 5-3 Missouri Valley)
4. Richmond (10-4, 6-2 CAA)
5. Jacksonville State (13-2, 8-0 Ohio Valley)
6. Charleston Southern (10-3, 6-0 Big South)
7. Chattanooga (9-4, 6-1 Southern)
8. South Dakota State (8-4, 5-3 Missouri Valley)
9. Coastal Carolina (9-3, 2016 FCS Independent)
10. The Citadel (9-4, 6-1 Southern)
11. Illinois State (10-3, 7-1 Missouri Valley)
12. Eastern Washington (6-5, 5-3 Big Sky)
13. William & Mary (9-4, 6-2 CAA)   
14. James Madison (9-3, 6-2 CAA)
15. North Dakota (7-4, 5-3 Big Sky)
16. Montana (8-5, 6-2 Big Sky)
17. McNeese State (10-1, 9-0 Southland)
18. Towson (7-4, 5-3 CAA)
19. Western Illinois (7-6, 5-3 Missouri Valley)
20. Villanova (6-5, 5-3 CAA)
21. Portland State (9-3, 6-2 Big Sky)
22. Youngstown State (5-6, 3-5 Missouri Valley)
23. Colgate (9-5, 6-0 Patriot)
24. Northern Arizona (7-4, 5-3 Big Sky)
25. Eastern Kentucky (6-5, 5-2 Ohio Valley)
 
Lindy’s College Football
1. North Dakota State (13-2, 7-1 Missouri Valley)
2. Sam Houston State (11-4, 7-2 Southland)
3. Jacksonville State (13-2, 8-0 Ohio Valley)
4. Northern Iowa (9-5, 5-3 Missouri Valley)
5. Richmond (10-4, 6-2 CAA)
6. South Dakota State (8-4, 5-3 Missouri Valley)
7. William & Mary (9-4, 6-2 CAA)     
8. Montana (8-5, 6-2 Big Sky)
9. Charleston Southern (10-3, 6-0 Big South)
10. Eastern Washington (6-5, 5-3 Big Sky)
11. Chattanooga (9-4, 6-1 Southern)
12. Colgate (9-5, 6-0 Patriot)
13. New Hampshire (7-5, 5-3 CAA)
14. McNeese State (10-1, 9-0 Southland)
15. Northern Arizona (7-4, 5-3 Big Sky)
16. Villanova (6-5, 5-3 CAA)
17. Western Illinois (7-6, 5-3 Missouri Valley)
18. James Madison (9-3, 6-2 CAA)
19. North Dakota (7-4, 5-3 Big Sky)
20. Illinois State (10-3, 7-1 Missouri Valley)
21. North Carolina A&T (10-2, 7-1 MEAC)
22. Duquesne (8-4, 5-1 Northeast)
23. Fordham (9-3, 5-1 Patriot)
24. Youngstown State (5-6, 3-5 Missouri Valley)
25. Harvard (9-1, 6-1 Ivy)
 
Sporting News College Football
1. North Dakota State (13-2, 7-1 Missouri Valley)
2. Sam Houston State (11-4, 7-2 Southland)
3. Richmond (10-4, 6-2 CAA)
4. Northern Iowa (9-5, 5-3 Missouri Valley)
5. Jacksonville State (13-2, 8-0 Ohio Valley)
6. William & Mary (9-4, 6-2 CAA)     
7. McNeese State (10-1, 9-0 Southland)
8. Chattanooga (9-4, 6-1 Southern)
9. Eastern Washington (6-5, 5-3 Big Sky)
10. Illinois State (10-3, 7-1 Missouri Valley)
11. James Madison (9-3, 6-2 CAA)
12. South Dakota State (8-4, 5-3 Missouri Valley)
13. Northern Arizona (7-4, 5-3 Big Sky)
14. Charleston Southern (10-3, 6-0 Big South)
15. Montana (8-5, 6-2 Big Sky)
16. Western Illinois (7-6, 5-3 Missouri Valley)
17. Portland State (9-3, 6-2 Big Sky)
18. New Hampshire (7-5, 5-3 CAA)
19. Wofford (5-6, 3-4 Southern)
20. North Dakota (7-4, 5-3 Big Sky)
21. The Citadel (9-4, 6-1 Southern)
22. North Carolina A&T (10-2, 7-1 MEAC)
23. Weber State (6-5, 5-3 Big Sky)
24. Central Arkansas (7-4, 7-2 Southland)
25. Eastern Illinois (7-5, 7-1 Ohio Valley)