EDINBORO RANKED 24th in FOOTBALL GAZETTE TOP 40

Fighting Scots One of Six PSAC Teams in the Rankings

EDINBORO, PA - The Edinboro University football is ranked 24th in the Football Gazette 2004 Preseason Division II Top 40. This marks the third different national poll to include the Fighting Scots. Earlier this summer Street & Smith's College Football Preseason Top 25 had Edinboro 13th, while Lindy's College Football NCAA Division II Top 25 had the Fighting Scots in the 14th position..

A total of six Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference teams show up in the Top 40, with three from the Western Division and three from the Eastern Division. Indiana(Pa.) is ranked 10th. A year ago Edinboro and IUP were co-champions of the PSAC West. The Fighting Scots finished the year with a 9-3 record, making the NCAA Division II Playoffs for the first time since 1995. IUP finished with a 10-1 ledger. Shippensburg, the preseason favorite according to the PSAC West coaches, is ranked 27th. The Red Raiders were 8-3 a year ago.

West Chester is the top ranked team from the Eastern Division. The Golden Rams, 8-3 last year, occupy the 30th spot. Preseason Eastern Division favorite Bloomsburg (7-4) is ranked 35th, with East Stroudsburg (8-3) ranked 40th. Edinboro opens its 2004 campaign against East Stroudsburg on Saturday, September 4.

Saginaw Valley State, Edinboro's first round playoff opponent a year ago, is ranked first, followed by North Dakota. North Alabama is ranked third, with two-time defending national champion Grand Valley State fourth and Texas A&M-Kingsville rounding out the top five.

~ Fighting Scots ~

FOOTBALL GAZETTE
2004 NCAA DIVISION II PRESEASON TOP 40
RATING
TEAM
2003 RECORD
1.
Saginaw Valley State
12-1
2.
North Dakota
12-2
3.
North Alabama
13-1
4.
Grand Valley State
14-1
5.
Texas A&M-Kingsville
11-2
6.
Valdosta State
10-2
7.
Carson-Newman
11-2
8.
Pittsburg State
9-3
9.
Central Oklahoma
9-3
10.
Indiana(PA)
10-1
11.
Winona State
11-2
12.
Tusculum
9-2
13.
Catawba
9-2
14.
Delta State
9-2
15.
Central Missouri State
9-2
16.
Bentley
10-1
17.
Mesa State
10-2
18.
Emporia State
9-3
19.
Southern Arkansas
9-3
20.
Nebraska-Omaha
8-3
21.
Chadron State
8-2
22.
Tarleton State
9-3
23.
Central Arkansas
5-6
24.
EDINBORO
9-3
25.
Northwest Missouri State
8-3
26.
Missouri Western
9-3
27.
Shippensburg
8-3
28.
Southeastern Oklahoma
7-3
29.
Albany State(GA)
10-2
30.
West Chester
8-3
31.
Midwestern State(TX)
7-3
32.
Fayetteville State
8-4
33.
Abilene Christian
6-4
34.
Minnesota-Duluth
8-3
35.
Bloomsburg
7-4
36.
St. Cloud State
7-4
37.
Shaw
7-3
38.
West Virginia Wesleyan
9-2
39.
Northwood
6-5
40.
East Stroudsburg
8-3
Other PSAC teams in italics

[Bullet] Edinboro Athletic Press Release Index

Created on ... August 18, 2004