Football Selected Fifth in Preseason Polls, Picks Up First-Place Votes

OGDEN, Utah – The Northern Arizona football team ranked fifth in the Big Sky Conference preseason coaches’ and media polls released by the league office on Tuesday.  The Lumberjacks return 13 starters, 12 all-conference selections, and 47 lettermen this fall and were rewarded with first-place votes in each poll.

NAU received 41 points in the Big Sky coaches’ poll and 240 points in the media poll.  The Lumberjacks trailed fourth place Weber State by three points in the coaches’ poll and 29 in the media poll.

Montana was picked to finish first in the league with 64 points followed by Eastern Washington with 51 and Montana State with 48.  Eastern Washington and Montana State placed second and third respectively, in both polls.

NAU ranked as the only other school in the coaches’ poll to earn first-place votes.  Montana totaled eight to the Lumberjacks one.  In the media poll, Montana amassed 40 first-place votes while NAU and Eastern Washington picked up one a piece.

The 2010 season begins on Thursday, Sept. 2 with Eastern Washington and Northern Arizona in action. The seven other Sky teams open on Saturday, Sept. 4.

The 2010 Division I National Championship will be played on Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The FCS playoff field expands from 16 to 20 teams. Eight teams will play first-round games on Saturday, Nov. 27. Twelve teams – included five seeded squads – earn byes to the second round on Saturday, Dec. 4.

Coaches' Poll

Media Poll

DID YOU KNOW…Thirty-nine Northern Arizona University student-athletes participated in spring commencement ceremonies on the NAU campus and were commissioned degrees as part of the Class of 2010.