WACO, TEXAS -- The University of North Alabama will open the the 2017 regular season ranked No. 6 in the nation after the American Football Coaches Association released its pre-season poll Monday.

The Lions finished the 2016 season ranked No. 2 in the AFCA poll and has now been ranked in the AFCA Top 25 in the last 44 straight polls.

UNA opens its season at home on August 31 against No. 5 ranked Texas A&M-Commerce and will travel to 11th ranked Valdosta State for its second game on September 16.


2017 American Football Coaches Association Preseason Division II Coaches' Poll – August 14, 2017
                                                                           2016                 2016
Rank   School (1st votes)                   Rec.    Pts.     Rank*      Season Opener                                                                                            
1.     Northwest Missouri St. (34)       15-0     850      1                Aug. 31 vs. No. 4 Emporia St. (Kan.)
2.     Grand Valley St. (Mich.)             12-1     765      4                Aug. 31 at Indianapolis (Ind.)
3.     Ferris St. (Mich.)                            12-3     716      5                Sept. 9 at Findlay (Ohio)
4.     Emporia St. (Kan.)                        11-2     652      10             Aug. 31 at No. 1 Northwest Missouri St.                                       
5.     Texas A&M-Commerce               10-2     634      9                Aug. 31 at No. 6 North Alabama                                                           
6.     North Alabama                                11-2     622      2                Aug. 31 vs. No. 5 Texas A&M-Commerce                                             
7.     Shepherd (W.Va.)                         13-1     574      3                Sept. 2 vs. Notre Dame (Ohio)                                                                
8.     California (Pa.)                               11-1     568      7                Aug. 31 vs. Ohio Dominican                                                                        
9.     Indiana (Pa.)                                   10-2     500      12             Aug. 31 vs. Ashland (Ohio)                                                                  
10.   Minnesota-Duluth                          10-2     431      14             Aug. 31 vs. No. 17 Sioux Falls (S.D.)                                                      
11.   Valdosta St. (Ga.)                         8-3       390      18             Sept. 2 at Albany St. (Ga.)                                                                          
12.   Colorado St.-Pueblo                     8-3       349      NR            Aug. 31 vs. No. 16 Colorado School of Mines                              
13.   Azusa Pacific (Calif.)                   9-3       302      25             Sept. 2 at West Texas A&M                                                          
14.   LIU-Post (N.Y.)                              12-1     288      11             Sept. 2 vs. Virginia Union                                                                        
15.   Harding (Ark.)                                 13-1     281      6                Aug. 31 vs. Henderson St. (Ark.)                                                       
16.   Colorado School of Mines          10-3     254      15             Aug. 31 at No. 12 Colorado St.-Pueblo                                        
17.   Sioux Falls (S.D.)                          12-1     235      8                Aug. 31 at No. 10 Minnesota-Duluth                                                  
18.   Southwest Baptist (Mo.)             10-2     227      22             Aug. 31 at Eastern New Mexico                                                           
19.   North Carolina-Pembroke           10-2     220      13             Aug. 31 vs. Winston-Salem St. (N.C.)                                  
20.   Minnesota St.                                 8-3       201      NR            Aug. 31 at Mary (N.D.)                                                                              
21.   Central Missouri                             9-3       189      21             Aug. 31 vs. Pittsburg St. (Kan.)                                                            
22.   Southern Arkansas                      9-3       157      NR            Aug. 31 at Arkansas Tech                                                                         
23.   Colorado Mesa                               9-3       154      NR            Aug. 31 vs. Western State Colorado                                                     
24.   Midwestern St. (Texas)               8-3       138      24             Aug. 31 vs. Quincy (Ill.)                                                                                
25.   Bemidji St. (Minn.)                         9-3       133      NR            Aug. 31 at Winona St. (Minn.)                                                                    

*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2016

Others Receiving Votes: Ashland (Ohio), 130; Tuskegee (Ala.), 123; North Greenville (S.C.), 121; Winston-Salem St. (N.C.), 114; Newberry (S.C.), 107; Ohio Dominican, 86; West Chester (Pa.), 82; West Georgia, 75; Edinboro (Pa.), 57; Albany St. (Ga.), 45; Florida Tech, 43; Assumption (Mass.), 38; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 36; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 19; Bowie St. (Md.), 16; Augustana (S.D.), 14; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 14; Virginia Union, 12; Arkansas Tech, 11; Central Washington, 10; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 10; Henderson St. (Ark.), 8; Charleston (W.Va.), 7; Indianapolis (Ind.), 7; Gannon (Pa.), 6; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 6; Truman St. (Mo.), 5; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 4; Slippery Rock (Pa.), 4; Delta St. (Miss.), 3; East Central (Okla.), 3; Humboldt St. (Calif.), 2; Tusculum (Tenn.), 1; Wingate (N.C.), 1.


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