Eastern Nationally Ranked For Third Straight Season

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Eastern Illinois will open the football season nationally ranked for the third straight season as the Panthers landed at No. 25 in the FCS Coaches Top 25 preseason poll released on Wednesday. The first of the two official FCS polls for the year, EIU was among three Ohio Valley Conference teams ranked in the preseason top 25.

EIU was 5-7 last year but finished the season in the thick of the Ohio Valley Conference race. The Panthers return 16 starters from last year’s squad including quarterback Jalen Whitlow and preseason defensive All-Americans Kamu Grugier-Hill and Dino Fanti. EIU was picked second in the OVC preseason poll announced at this year’s conference football media day in Nashville.

EIU opens the season on Thursday, Sept. 3 at Western Illinois. Following a Sept. 12 game at Big Ten member Northwestern, EIU opens its home season Sept. 19 against Illinois State in the 104th playing of the Mid-America Classic. Illinois State is ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll and is one three preseason top 25 teams that will play at O’Brien Field this year. Season and single game tickets are now on sale by calling 217-581-2106 or online at www.eiupanthertickets.com Jacksonville State, No. 9 in the preseason poll, visits O’Brien Field on Nov. 7. Eastern Kentucky comes to Charleston for the final regular season game on Nov. 21, the Colonels are ranked 17th.

North Dakota State was a unanimous preseason No. 1 after the Bison won their fourth straight FCS National Championship last season. NDSU collected all 24 first place votes. Illinois State, last year’s national runner-up, was second followed by Villanova, Sam Houston State and Coastal Carolina in the top five. Eastern Washington was sixth with New Hampshire, Chattanooga, Jacksonville State and Northern Iowa rounding out the top ten. Big Sky Conference rivals Montana State and Montana led schools ranked 11 through 20 with James Madison, Liberty, South Dakota State, Youngstown State, Eastern Kentucky, Richmond, Southeastern Louisiana and Indiana State. The final five schools in the poll were Fordham, Harvard, McNeese State, Idaho State and Eastern Illinois. McNeese State, Idaho State and EIU were not ranked in the final FCS Coaches poll last season. Harvard at 10-0 was the lone unbeaten FCS school last year.