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.
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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 |
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More SAC Headlines from NC Football News
- SAC Recaps: Mars Hill, Wingate roll; Lenoir-Rhyne vanquishedLions, Bulldogs outscore conference foes 67-9; Bears fall at Emory & Henry
- What to watch for: Epic CIAA showdowns, ECU-Charlotte, No fans at WCUFour undefeated teams from NC seek to continue streak
- Fabulous 15: Lenoir-Rhyne, Johnson C. Smith, top 6 teams hold their groundFour undefeated teams remain as we enter October schedule
- Lenoir-Rhyne keeps chugging, improves to 4-0 with Sunday winBears have now won 10 of last 11 against Tusculum
- Barton rediscovers its offense, rolls past AndersonTrevor Nored connected with Jayden Flood-Brown for two long-yardage touchdowns