EIU Returns To FCS Top 25 Polls

CHARLESTON -- Eastern Illinois returned to the FCS Top 25 polls this week as the Panthers are ranked in both the Sports Network Top 25 and FCS Coaches Top 25 heading into the regular season finale at Central Arkansas.  EIU is ranked No. 24 by Sports Network and No. 25 by the FCS Coaches.

The Panthers are 7-3 on the season having locked up the Ohio Valley Conference regular season title with a 39-20 win over Southeast Missouri.  EIU was 6-1 in the league and will be making its 14th FCS playoff appearance when the pairings are announced on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 12:30 p.m. (Central) on ESPNU.

It marks the first time EIU has been ranked since the second week of the 2010 season when the Panthers fell out of the polls following a 37-7 loss to Central Arkansas.  The Bears come into this weekend’s non-conference game ranked 10th in both polls having already clinched an FCS playoff berth by winning the Southland Conference.

North Dakota State is number one in both polls followed by Montana State, Sam Houston State, Old Dominion, Eastern Washington, Georgia Southern, New Hampshire, Appalachian State, Wofford and Central Arkansas in the top ten.

Illinois State is 11th in both polls followed by Stony Brook, James Madison, Lehigh, Northern Arizona, Villanova, Cal Poly, Indiana State, Towson and Richmond in the top twenty.

South Dakota State is No. 21 with Eastern Kentucky 22nd, Tennessee State 23rd with EIU and Bethune-Cookman tied for 24th in the Sports Network rankings.  EIU is ranked No. 25 in the FCS Coaches poll behind Harvard in 24th.

Sports Network Top 25 – http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&;page=cfoot2/misc/cfoot225poll.aspx

                                                         FCS Coaches Top 25

                           2012 FCS Coaches Week 11 Poll (November 12, 2012)

Team (No. 1 Votes)                Record                             Points                      Last Week

1. North Dakota State (24)          9-1                                  646                               1

2. Montana State                         9-1                                  619                               2

3. Sam Houston State (2)            8-2                                  597                               3

4. Old Dominion                           9-1                                  578                               4

5. Eastern Washington                 8-2                                  537                               6

6. Georgia Southern                    8-2                                  521                               7

7. New Hampshire                       8-2                                  466                              10

8. Appalachian State                    8-3                                  443                              12

9. Wofford                                  8-2                                  408                              14

10. Central Arkansas                   8-2                                  397                              13

11. Illinois State                       8-2                                  343                              15

12. Lehigh                                  9-1                                  327                               5

13. Stony Brook                         9-2                                  300                               8

14. James Madison                     7-3                                  293                               9

15. Northern Arizona                   8-2                                  279                              11

16. Towson                                6-4                                  257                              17

17. Eastern Kentucky                  8-3                                  246                              18

18. Cal Poly                                8-2                                  240                              19

19. Indiana State                        7-3                                  176                              21

20. Richmond                             7-3                                  152                              23

21. Villanova                               7-3                                  128                              25

22. Bethune-Cookman                8-2                                  117                              22

23. South Dakota State               7-3                                   98                               20

24. Harvard                                 7-2                                   65                               16

25. Eastern Illinois                    7-3                                   39                               NR

Others Receiving Votes: Tennessee State (35), Samford (33), Colgate (33), Albany (18), Sacramento State (8), UT Martin (8), The Citadel (7), Wagner (6), Arkansas Pine Bluff (5), Southern Illinois (4), Jackson State (2), Pennsylvania (2), Southeastern Louisiana (1), Youngstown State (1).