Nation's-Best Six CAA Football Teams Ranked In Athlon Top 25 Poll
JMU head coach Mike Houston

Nation's-Best Six CAA Football Teams Ranked In Athlon Top 25 Poll

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Rob Washburn

Athlon Sports Preseason FCS Top 25 Poll

RICHMOND, Va. (June 5, 2018) – Expectations are high for another outstanding season in CAA Football as the league led all FCS conferences with six teams ranked in the Athlon Sports Preseason Top 25 Poll, including five in the top 13.

Three-time defending CAA Football champion James Madison (14-1) headlines the group of CAA teams at No. 2. The Dukes, who are 28-2 over the past two years, trail only No. 1 North Dakota State, which edged JMU 17-13 in last year’s national championship game.

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New Hampshire (9-5) is right behind JMU at No. 3 in the preseason poll. The Wildcats are looking to extend their record of 14 consecutive FCS playoff appearances after advancing to the quarterfinals a year ago.

Elon (8-4) is ranked No. 10 in the preseason poll. The Phoenix earned their first playoff appearance as a CAA Football member and first overall since 2009 after going 6-2 and placing third in the conference.

Villanova (5-6) opens the season at No. 11 in the Athlon poll. The Wildcats, who have made six FCS playoff appearances since 2008, are expected to bounce back after suffering a slew of injuries to key players in 2017.

Delaware (7-4) starts the year at No. 13 in the preseason national rankings. The Blue Hens narrowly missed a berth in the playoffs a year ago and are looking to return to the postseason for the first time since 2010.

Rounding out the CAA teams in the poll is Stony Brook at No. 25. The Seawolves (10-3) advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs last season in their first appearance since 2012. Stony Brook tied a program record for overall wins last year.

CAA Football has had four teams receive FCS playoff berths for the past four years. Trailing CAA Football’s six ranked teams in the preseason poll were the Missouri Valley Football Conference with five and the Big Sky and Southland Conferences with four apiece.

Athlon Sports FCS Preseason Top 25 Poll
  1. North Dakota State
  2. James Madison
  3. New Hampshire
  4. South Dakota State
  5. Kennesaw State
  6. Eastern Washington
  7. Sam Houston State
  8. Jacksonville State
  9. Weber State
  10. Elon
  11. Villanova
  12. Samford
  13. Delaware
  14. Illinois State
  15. Nicholls
  16. Wofford
  17. McNeese
  18. Montana
  19. UNI
  20. North Carolina A&T
  21. Youngstown State
  22. Austin Peay
  23. Sacramento State
  24. Central Arkansas
  25. Stony Brook