After claiming their first-ever Division II national championship in 2017, Texas A&M-Commerce will start the 2018 season ranked No. 1 in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. This is the first time since the poll began in 2000 that the Lions start the season ranked No. 1. West Florida, who lost to Texas A&M-Commerce in the championship game, begins this year at No. 2. The Argonauts are followed by Minnesota State at No. 3, Indiana (Pa.) at No. 4 and Fort Hays State and Northwest Missouri State tied at No. 5.

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The first week of action starts off with four Top 25 matchups, all on Thursday, August 30. The first game has No. 2 West Florida hosting No. 22 Carson-Newman (Tenn.) while No. 4 Indiana (Pa.) travels to No. 15 Ashland (Ohio). The third Top 25 matchup is a conference battle as No. 5t Fort Hays State (Kan.) plays host to No. 18 Central Missouri. The final matchup has No. 10 Grand Valley State (Mich.) hosting No. 13 Indianapolis (Ind.).

2018 American Football Coaches Association Preseason Division II Coaches’ Poll August 13, 2018

Rank School (1st Place Votes) 2017 Record Pts. 2017 Rank* Season Opener Head Coach 1 Texas A&M-Commerce (13) 14-1 748 1 Aug. 30 vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville Colby Carthel 2 West Florida (14) 11-4 721 2 Aug. 30 vs. No. 22 Carson-Newman (Tenn.) Pete Shinnick 3 Minnesota St. (2) 13-1 691 4 Aug. 30 vs. Southwest Minnesota St. Todd Hoffner 4 Indiana (Pa.) (2) 13-1 666 3 Aug. 30 at No. 15 Ashland (Ohio) Paul Tortorella 5t Fort Hays St. (Kan.) 11-1 591 8 Aug. 30 vs. No. 18 Central Missouri Chris Brown 5t Northwest Missouri St. (2) 9-3 591 16 Aug. 30 vs. Missouri Western St. Rich Wright 7 Harding (Ark.) 11-4 550 6 Aug. 30 at Henderson St. (Ark.) Paul Simmons 8 Ferris St. (Mich.) 11-2 503 5 Aug. 30 vs. East Stroudsburg (Pa.) Tony Annese 9 Central Washington 11-1 494 7 Sept. 1 at Eastern Washington Ian Shoemaker 10 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 8-3 478 NR Aug. 30 vs. No. 13 Indianapolis (Ind.) Matt Mitchell 11 Midwestern St. (Texas) 10-1 473 11 Sept. 1 vs. Humboldt St. (Calif.) Bill Maskill 12 West Alabama 10-3 470 12 Aug. 30 vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) Brett Gilliland 13 Indianapolis (Ind.) 11-1 402 13 Aug. 30 at No. 10 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) Bob Bartolomeo 14 Colorado St.-Pueblo 9-3 401 17 Sept. 1 vs. Dixie St. (Utah) John Wristen 15 Ashland (Ohio) 11-2 350 10 Aug. 30 vs. No. 4 Indiana (Pa.) Lee Owens 16 Shepherd (W.Va.) 10-1 332 14 Sept. 1 at Notre Dame (Ohio) Ernie McCook 17 Assumption (Mass.) 11-2 292 9 Sept. 1 vs. Kutztown (Pa.) Andy McKenzie 18 Central Missouri 9-3 209 NR Aug. 30 at No. 5t Fort Hays St. (Kan.) Jim Svoboda 19 West Georgia 9-4 196 19 Sept. 1 vs. Catawba (N.C.) David Dean 20 Sioux Falls (S.D.) 9-3 158 20 Aug. 30 vs. Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) Jon Anderson 21 Winona St. (Minn.) 10-2 134 15 Aug. 30 at Wayne St. (Neb.) Tom Sawyer 22 Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 8-3 118 NR Aug. 30 at No. 2 West Florida Mike Turner 23 Ohio Dominican 7-3 105 NR Aug. 30 vs. California (Pa.) Kelly Cummings 24 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 9-3 102 NR Aug. 30 at Northwestern Oklahoma St. Todd Knight 25 Findlay (Ohio) 10-3 101 22 Sept. 1 at Kentucky Wesleyan Rob Keys

*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2017

Others Receiving Votes: California (Pa.), 89; Delta St. (Miss.), 74; West Chester (Pa.), 74; Colorado Mesa, 66; Bowie St. (Md.), 60; Virginia St., 51; Minnesota-Duluth, 41; Albany St. (Ga.), 39; Florida Tech, 36; Colorado Mines, 34; Shippensburg (Pa.), 31; Tuskegee (Ala.), 26; Wingate (N.C.), 25; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 22; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 22; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 21; Notre Dame (Ohio), 18; Eastern New Mexico, 17; Edinboro (Pa.), 15; Missouri Western St., 14; Bloomsburg (Pa.), 13; Emporia St. (Kan.), 11; Central Oklahoma, 9; LIU Post (N.Y.), 8; Slippery Rock (Pa.), 8; Augustana (S.D.), 5; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 5; Humboldt St. (Calif.), 4; Catawba (N.C.), 3; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 3; Hillsdale (Mich.), 3; Southern Arkansas, 1; Washburn (Kan.), 1.