NCAA Division II College Football: 2012 Preseason Coaches Poll Released

The American Football Coaches Association released its annual preseason Top 25 Coaches' Poll for Division II football.

Last season's national champion, Pittsburg State (Kansas) begins 2012 where it ended 2011—in the No. 1 spot. The Gorillas earned 21 out of 30 possible first-place votes, and finished with 720 points.

Minnesota-Duluth was the only other program to receive more than one first-place vote, receiving five to begin the season in the No. 2 spot.

The other first-place vote-getters were No. 3 Northwest Missouri State, No. 4 Midwestern State (Texas), No. 5 and 2011 runners-up Wayne State (Michigan), and No. 9 Winston-Salem State (North Carolina).

Both No. 7 Grand Valley State (Michigan) and No. 8 Valdosta State (Georgia) begin the season in the top 10 despite finishing 2011 unranked, ending the two longest Top 25 streaks in Division II.

Week 1 will feature three Top-25 vs. Top-25 games. No. 24 West Texas A&M travels to No. 6 Colorado State-Pueblo on August 30, No. 17 Hillsdale (Michigan) visits No. 11 California (Pennsylvania) on August 30, and No. 22 Albany State (Georgia) hosts No. 23 North Greenville (South Carolina) on September 1.

Rank	School (1st votes)	2011 Rec.	Pts.	2011 Rank*	Season Opener	Head Coach
1.	Pittsburg St. (Kan.) (21)	13-1	720	1	Aug. 30 at Northeastern St. (Okla.)	Tim Beck
2.	Minnesota-Duluth (5)	11-3	661	6	Aug. 30 at Southwest Minnesota St.	Bob Nielson
3.	Northwest Missouri St. (1)	11-3	613	5	Aug. 30 vs. East Central (Okla.)	Adam Dorrel
4.	Midwestern St. (Texas) (1)	10-1	582	7	Sept. 8 at Tarleton St. (Texas)	Bill Maskill
5.	Wayne St. (Mich.) (1)	12-4	502	2	Sept. 8 at Ashland (Ohio)	Paul Winters
6.	Colorado St.-Pueblo	11-1	481	9	Aug. 30 vs. No. 24 West Texas A&M	John Wristen
7.	Grand Valley St. (Mich.)	8-3	473	NR	Sept. 1 at Western Oregon	Matt Mitchell
8.	Valdosta St. (Ga.)	6-4	415	NR	Sept. 1 at Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.)	David Dean
9.	Winston-Salem St. (N.C.) (1)	13-1	386	3	Sept. 1 vs. North Carolina-Pembroke	Connell Maynor
10.	Abilene Christian (Texas)	8-3	367	16	Sept. 1 vs. McMurry (Texas)	Ken Collums
11.	California (Pa.)	10-3	347	15	Aug. 30 vs. No. 17 Hillsdale (Mich.)	Mike Kellar
12.	Kutztown (Pa.)	11-2	329	13	Aug. 30 vs. St. Anselm (N.H.)	Raymond Monica
13.	New Haven (Conn.)	11-2	322	8	Sept. 1 vs. Merrimack (Mass.)	Peter Rossomando
14.	Delta St. (Miss.)	11-3	290	4	Sept. 1 vs. Fort Valley St. (Ga.)	Jamey Chadwell
15.	West Alabama	8-4	274	23	Sept. 1 at Clark Atlanta (Ga.)	Will Hall
16.	St. Cloud State (Minn.)	9-3	266	17	Aug. 30 vs. Sioux Falls (S.D.)	Scott Underwood
17.	Hillsdale (Mich.)	8-3	228	NR	Aug. 30 at No. 11 California (Pa.)	Keith Otterbein
18.	Missouri Western St.	9-3	218	18	Aug. 30 vs. Central Missouri	Jerry Partridge
19.	Shepherd (W.Va.)	9-2	199	22	Sept. 1 at Shippensburg (Pa.)	Monte Cater
20.	Washburn (Kan.)	10-3	187	11	Aug. 30 vs. Nebraska-Kearney	Craig Schurig
21.	Humboldt St. (Calif.)	9-1	183	20	Aug. 30 vs. Colorado Mesa	Rob Smith
22.	Albany St. (Ga.)	8-4	149	NR	Sept. 1 vs. No. 23 North Greenville (S.C.)	Mike White
23.	North Greenville (S.C.)	11-3	139	12	Sept. 1 at No. 22 Albany St. (Ga.)	Carroll McCray
24.	West Texas A&M	8-3	132	25	Aug. 30 at No. 6 Colorado St.-Pueblo	Don Carthel
25.	Bloomsburg (Pa.)	9-2	129	21	Aug. 31 at Stonehill (Mass.)	Danny Hale

*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2011

Others Receiving Votes: Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.), 128; North Alabama, 128; Nebraska-Kearney, 122; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 100; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 96; Central Missouri, 72; Indianapolis (Ind.), 70; Mars Hill (N.C.), 57; Indiana (Pa.), 49; North Carolina-Pembroke, 47; Elizabeth City St. (N.C.), 44; Minnesota St.-Mankato, 41; Colorado School of Mines, 40; East Central (Okla.), 33; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 32; Slippery Rock (Pa.), 18; Miles (Ala.), 15; Concord (W.Va.), 9; Tarleton St. (Texas), 9; West Georgia, 9; Morehouse (Ga.), 7; Ashland (Ohio), 6; Michigan Tech, 6; Southern Connecticut St., 6; Central Washington, 4; Henderson St. (Ark.), 3; Assumption (Mass.), 2; West Virginia Wesleyan, 2; Azusa Pacific, 1; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 1; Harding (Ark.), 1.