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Gardner-Webb football earns spot in FCS poll for first time since ’03

Runnin’ Bulldogs start out season at No. 25

Published

August 7, 2023

Gardner-Webb was picked No. 25 in the Stats Perform Preseason FCS Poll. (Graphic courtesy GWUSports.com)

(Source: GWUSports.com) – For the first time since the 2003 preseason, the Gardner-Webb football team is ranked in one of the two major FCS polls, earning the #25 spot in the STATS Perform Preseason Poll, announced on Monday, Aug. 7.

A national media panel selects the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs earned 129 points to clinch the #25 spot in the rankings. Oddly enough, the last time Gardner-Webb was ranked in a preseason national poll, the ‘Dawgs were #25 in the 2003 USA Today Coaches Poll. GWU finished the 2003 season 8-4 and 4-0 in the Big South, winning their second straight Big South conference championship.

It is also the first time GWU has earned a spot in the STATS national poll since Oct. 5, 2013, when the Runnin’ Bulldogs were ranked #24 in the poll. That team started the season 4-1 with wins over #11 Richmond and #8 Wofford. The 2013 team also defeated #12 Charleston Southern, giving Gardner-Webb three wins over ranked teams in one season, the most in program history.

The highest the Runnin’ Bulldogs have ever been ranked in a national poll came on Nov. 11, 2002, when the ‘Dawgs finished the season 9-1 and 3-0 in the Big South to win their first Big South conference championship, finishing #18 in the STATS national poll. That team was also ranked #19 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

Southeast Missouri State is the only other Big South-OVC team to earn a spot in the preseason rankings, earning the #12 spot. The ‘Dawgs will face one other team ranked in the STATS Perform Preseason Poll, facing #24 Eastern Kentucky on Oct. 21 in a rematch of the 2022 FCS Playoffs. GWU will also face off against three teams that received votes in the initial poll in Elon (Sept. 9), Austin Peay (Oct. 14), and UT Martin (Oct. 28).

GWU is also ranked #22 in the HERO Sports FCS Preseason Poll, which was announced on Jun. 1.

Defending FCS National Champion South Dakota State earned the #1 slot with all 56 first-place votes.

Gardner-Webb opens the 2023 season on Saturday, Sept. 2 at Appalachian State before playing its home opener on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 6:00 PM inside Spangler Stadium vs Elon. Fans can purchase season tickets at gwusports.com.

Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25 Poll (Presented by FedEx Ground)

1. South Dakota State (2022 Season: 14–1, 8–0 Missouri Valley), 1,400 points (56 first-place votes)
2. North Dakota State (12–3, 7–1 Missouri Valley), 1,329
3. Montana State (12–2, 8–0 Big Sky), 1,294
4. William & Mary (11–2, 7–1 CAA), 1,172
5. Holy Cross (12–1, 6–0 Patriot), 1,113
6. Furman (10–3, 7–1 Southern), 1,035
7. UIW (12–2, 5–1 Southland), 935
8. Idaho (7–5, 6–2 Big Sky), 932
9. Samford (11–2, 8–0 Southern), 885
10. Sacramento State (12–1, 8–0 Big Sky), 881
11. New Hampshire (9–4, 7–1 CAA), 798
12. Southeast Missouri (9-3, 5-0 Ohio Valley), 768
13. Weber State (10–3, 6–2 Big Sky), 744
14. Montana (8–5, 4–4 Big Sky), 711
15. Southeastern Louisiana (9–4, 5–1 Southland), 710
16. UC Davis (6–5, 5–3 Big Sky), 513
17. North Dakota (7–5, 5–3 Missouri Valley), 479
18. Richmond (9–4, 6–2 CAA), 387
19. North Carolina Central (10–2, 4–1 MEAC), 330
20. Mercer (7–4, 5–3 Southern), 293
21. Rhode Island (7–4, 5–3 CAA), 169
22. Delaware (8-5, 4-4 CAA), 166
23. Northern Iowa (6-5, 5-3 Missouri Valley), 155
24. Eastern Kentucky (7-5, 3-2 ASUN), 137
25. Gardner-Webb (7-6, 5-0 Big South), 129

Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Central Arkansas (5–6, 3–2 ASUN) 110, Chattanooga (7-4, 5-3 Southern) 84, Jackson State (12-1, 8-0 SWAC) 71, Southern Illinois (5–6, 4–4 Missouri Valley) 66, Youngstown State (7-4, 5-3 Missouri Valley) 66, Florida A&M (9-2, 7-1 SWAC) 65, UT Martin (7–4, 5–0 Ohio Valley) 65, Elon (8-4, 6-2 CAA) 61, Austin Peay (7-4, 3-2 ASUN) 40, Fordham (9-3, 5-1 Patriot) 28, Yale (8-2, 6-1 Ivy) 18, Villanova (6-5, 4-4 CAA) 8, McNeese (4-7, 2-4 Southland) 7, Abilene Christian (7-4, 3-1 WAC) 6, St. Thomas (10-1, 8-0 Pioneer) 6, Saint Francis (9-3, 7-0 NEC) 5