ASHLAND — The Ashland University football team is ranked No. 8 in the 2016 Sporting News NCAA Division II Preseason Top 25 poll.
The rankings are part of its annual college football preview magazine.
Madison graduate Lee Owens coached the Eagles to a 10-1 record in 2015. AU had an undefeated regular season, won a share of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and hosted a Division II playoff game.
Owens welcomes back a veteran squad in 2016. Ashland returns 10 starters on offense and seven starters on defense. The Eagles will begin the season with three straight games at Jack Miller Stadium – Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. against Mercyhurst, Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. vs. Wayne State and Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. against Findlay.
Ashland will follow that with a game at fellow 2015 co-GLIAC champion Ferris State, ranked No. 17 in the Sporting News preseason poll, at 3:30 p.m.
Traditional powerhouse Grand Valley State is ranked No. 2, behind only Northwest Missouri State.
SPORTING NEWS DII PRESEASON FOOTBALL POLL
1. Northwest Missouri State
2. Grand Valley State
3. West Georgia
4. Indiana (Pa.)
5. Shepherd
6. Colorado School of Mines
7. Humboldt State
8. ASHLAND
9. Slippery Rock
10. Indianapolis
11. Colorado State-Pueblo
12. Henderson State
13. Tuskegee
14. North Alabama
15. Catawba
16. Minnesota State
17. Ferris State
18. California (Pa.)
19. Bemidji State
20. Midwestern State
21. Florida Tech
22. Colorado Mesa
23. Augustana (S.D.)
24. Emporia State
25. Assumption
