WACO – The back-to-back Lone Star Conference champion Texas A&M University-Commerce Lions are ranked ninth in the nation in Division II according to the American Football Coaches Association Preseason Poll, which was released Monday.
The Lions are tied for the ninth position in the poll with Henderson State. A&M-Commerce went 8-4 in the 2015 campaign and bring back the defending Lone Star Conference Offensive Back of the Year and Preseason Offensive Player of the Year in running back
Richard Cooper.
The ranking of ninth is the second-best ranking for A&M-Commerce since the AFCA Division II Poll began in 2000. The Lions were ranked eighth nationally on October 26, 2015, and have now been ranked in 14 straight polls, going back to the 2015 preseason poll. This is A&M-Commerce's 20th all-time appearance in the AFCA Top 25.
"It's humbling to be considered a Top 10 program by the other coaches from across the country," said A&M-Commerce head football coach
Colby Carthel. "Our players have worked hard to earn that respect over the last three years and we hope to continue that momentum and take this thing to the top."
The No. 9 Lions begin their quest for a third consecutive Lone Star Conference title on Thursday, September 1, against the University of Faith (Fla.) at Memorial Stadium.
2016 American Football Coaches Association Preseason Division II Coaches' Poll
August 15, 2016
| Rank |
School (1st votes) |
2015 Rec. |
Pts. |
2015 Rank* |
| 1. |
Northwest Missouri St. (29) |
15-0 |
749 |
1 |
| 2. |
West Georgia (1) |
12-2 |
676 |
3 |
| 3. |
Grand Valley St. (Mich.) |
12-3 |
658 |
4 |
| 4. |
Shepherd (W.Va.) |
13-1 |
638 |
2 |
| 5. |
Colorado St.-Pueblo |
12-2 |
581 |
5 |
| 6. |
Ashland (Ohio) |
10-1 |
523 |
10 |
| 7. |
Minnesota St. |
10-2 |
466 |
13 |
| 8. |
Indiana (Pa.) |
9-3 |
364 |
19 |
| 9t. |
Henderson St. (Ark.) |
11-2 |
363 |
12 |
| 9t. |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
8-4 |
363 |
23 |
| 11. |
Slippery Rock (Pa.) |
12-2 |
360 |
7 |
| 12. |
Ferris St. (Mich.) |
11-1 |
359 |
6 |
| 13. |
Humboldt St. (Calif.) |
10-2 |
353 |
16 |
| 14. |
Midwestern St. (Texas) |
10-2 |
344 |
9 |
| 15. |
North Alabama |
9-3 |
330 |
15 |
| 16. |
Indianapolis (Ind.) |
10-2 |
276 |
18 |
| 17. |
Tuskegee (Ala.) |
10-3 |
241 |
11 |
| 18. |
Colorado School of Mines |
8-3 |
228 |
NR |
| 19. |
Minnesota-Duluth |
9-3 |
196 |
NR |
| 20. |
Central Missouri |
8-3 |
184 |
NR |
| 21. |
Assumption (Mass.) |
11-2 |
144 |
17 |
| 22. |
Catawba (N.C.) |
9-3 |
140 |
25 |
| 23. |
Sioux Falls (S.D.) |
9-3 |
125 |
21t |
| 24. |
Emporia St. (Kan.) |
11-3 |
124 |
8 |
| 25. |
Augustana (S.D.) |
9-3 |
119 |
24 |
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2015
Others Receiving Votes: Florida Tech, 107; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 99; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 88; West Chester (Pa.), 82; Winston-Salem St. (N.C.), 74; Charleston (W.Va.), 60; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 53; Colorado Mesa, 50; Harding (Ark.), 40; Albany St. (Ga.), 34; Virginia Union, 29; California (Pa.), 25; Angelo St. (Texas), 19; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 13; Miles (Ala.), 11; Delta St. (Miss.), 9; Michigan Tech, 9; Western Oregon, 9; West Texas A&M, 8; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 6; Bowie St. (Md.), 4; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 4; Central Oklahoma, 3; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 3; Ohio Dominican, 2; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 2; Bemidji St. (Minn.), 1; McKendree (Ill.), 1; Newberry (S.C.), 1.
