AU Football Begins Season No. 6 In HERO Sports Rankings

AU Football Begins Season No. 6 In HERO Sports Rankings

LINK – ASHLAND UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL PAGE

LINK – HERO SPORTS DIVISION II FOOTBALL RANKINGS PAGE

When Ashland University's football team starts the 2017 season on Thursday (Aug. 31) at 7 p.m. at Indiana, Pa., the Eagles and Crimson Hawks will face off as Top 10 teams, according to HERO Sports.

HERO Sports' preseason NCAA Division II football rankings have Ashland at No. 6 in the country and IUP at No. 10. In 2016, the Eagles were 9-2 and won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's South Division championship, while the Crimson Hawks were 10-2 and won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title.

Earlier in the preseason, Ashland was picked No. 18 in the D2Football.com preseason poll, and No. 20 in the Lindy's Sports College Football National 2017 Preview preseason poll. In the 2017 GLIAC preseason coaches' poll, the Eagles were slotted third in the now-10-team conference.

Thursday's game at Frank Cignetti Field at George P. Miller Stadium will be Ashland's first in the state of Pennsylvania since Sept. 1, 2011 against Bloomsburg.

Also in 2017, Ashland will play three more games against preseason Top 25 HERO Sports teams – Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field vs. No. 3 Ferris State, Oct. 28 at noon at No. 19 Wayne State and Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. at home vs. No. 7 Grand Valley State.

 

HERO SPORTS 2017 NCAA DIVISION II PRESEASON RANKINGS

RANK

TEAM

1

North Alabama

2

NW Missouri St.

3

Ferris St.

4

Florida Tech

5

California (Pa.)

6

ASHLAND

7

Grand Valley St.

8

Sioux Falls

9

Texas A&M-Comm.

10

Indiana (Pa.)

11

Shepherd

12

Harding

13

Azusa Pacific

14

West Alabama

15

Colorado Mines

16

Valdosta St.

17

Emporia St.

18

West Georgia.

19

Wayne St. (Mich.)

20

Central Missouri

21

Newberry

22

Augustana

23

Bemidji St.

24

Minnesota St.

25

North Greenville

 

 

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