Another national media outlet has put Wingate and Lenoir-Rhyne football in its preseason Division II top 25 rankings.
Wingate is listed 18th in the D2Football.com rankings, while Lenoir-Rhyne is 23rd. The Bulldogs and Bears also appear in the American Football Coaches Association preseason top 25, released last week – Wingate at 21 and Lenoir-Rhyne at 25.
Both the ‘Dogs and Bears compete in the South Atlantic Conference and are expected to contend for the Piedmont Division crown. Wingate finished 11-3 a year ago, advancing to the D2 playoff quarterfinals and finishing 12th in the final D2Football poll. Lenoir-Rhyne was 8-3 a year ago but unranked at season’s end.
Newberry, which plays in the SAC also, is missing from the D2Football poll. The Wolves are 24th in the AFCA preseason rankings.
Opening day is less than two weeks away for both teams. Wingate will host Albany State on Thursday, Aug. 31, while Lenoir-Rhyne will start Saturday, Sept. 2 at home against St. Augustine’s.
.
D2Football.com Preseason Top 25
| Rank | Team | Record | Last |
| 1 | Ferris State | 14-1 | 1 |
| 2 | Grand Valley | 12-1 | 2 |
| 3 | Pittsburg State | 12-1 | 5 |
| 4 | Colorado Mines | 13-3 | 3 |
| 5 | Northwest Missouri | 10-3 | 7 |
| 6 | Angelo State | 12-1 | 6 |
| 7 | Minnesota State | 10-3 | 11 |
| 8 | West Florida | 12-2 | 4 |
| 9 | Delta State | 11-2 | 9 |
| 10 | Bemidji State | 10-3 | 16 |
| 11 | Ouachita Baptist | 11-1 | 13 |
| 12 | IUP | 10-2 | 10 |
| 13 | Shepherd | 13-2 | 8 |
| 14 | Ashland | 10-2 | 14 |
| 15 | Harding | 9-2 | 18 |
| 16 | Slippery Rock | 10-3 | 15 |
| 17 | Emporia State | 9-3 | 22 |
| 18 | Wingate | 11-3 | 12 |
| 19 | West Georgia | 8-2 | 21 |
| 20 | Benedict | 11-1 | 17 |
| 21 | Indianapolis | 9-2 | 20 |
| 22 | Virginia Union | 9-2 | 19 |
| 23 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 8-3 | NR |
| 24 | Davenport | 8-3 | 25 |
| 25 | CSU-Pueblo | 8-4 | 24 |
.
More SAC Headlines from NC Football News
- D2 Stat Champions: Wingate’s Marquise Fleming, JCSU’s Benari Black tackle top honors
Check out our top Division II statistical performers for defense - D2 Stat Champions: Caldwell, Hayes, McDaniel claim receiving honors
Johnson C. Smith, UNC Pembroke, Lenoir-Rhyne standouts reach 1,000-yard mark - 2024 Statewide Standings: Lenoir-Rhyne leads NC in wins; Wingate has best winning percentage
15 NC college football teams finish above .500 - D2 Stat Champions: UNC Pembroke’s Seth Bowen Takes Season Punting Crown
Winston-Salem State’s Devin Versteegen had best single-game punting average - D2 Stat Champions: UNCP’s Colin Johnson, Lenoir-Rhyne’s Jalen Ferguson Capture Passing Crowns
Ferguson threw for 3,276 yards during Bears’ playoff run; Johnson tallied 36 touchdown tosses
