June 12, 2003

Football Tabbed by Street & Smith’s

Lopers Nationally Ranked

      Kearney, NE – The Nebraska-Kearney football team is ranked 11^th in Street & Smith's preseason Division II Top 25 poll. The poll is part of the Street & Smith's 2003 college football national preview which recently went on sale. This is the first preseason rankings in Division II.

      Last year, the Lopers were ranked 17^th in Street & Smith’s preseason poll. UNK finished 2002 ranked 12^th in the land.

      UNK, which receives a write up on page 139 of the magazine, is one of five teams from the West Region to be ranked. Chadron State, coming in at No. 23, is the other RMAC in the poll. Defending national champion Grand Valley State is the preseason No.1 pick.

      The Lopers return 13 starters from last year's team that went 9-2 and tied Chadron for the RMAC title (7-1). UNK begins its season August 28^th (Thursday) at home against UNO. 
 

Street & Smith’s Preseason Top 25 Poll West Region teams in italics 1. Grand Valley State (Mich.) 2. Valdosta State (Ga.) 3. Texas A& M-Kingsville 4. NW Missouri State 5. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 6. Catawba (N.C.) 7. Indiana (Pa.) 8. Central Missouri State 9. Central Washington 10. Bentley (Mass.) 11. Nebraska-Kearney 12. Minnesota-Duluth 13. Tuskegee (Ala.) 14. Fayetteville State (N.C.) 15. Catawba (N.C.) 16. St. Cloud State 17.  Harding (Ark.) 18.  Emporia State (Kans.) 19.  Pittsburg State (Kans.) 20.  C.W. Post (N.Y.) 21. Bloomsburg (Pa.) 22. Presbyterian (S.C.) 23. Chadron State 24. Abilene Christian (Texas) 25.  Winona State (Minn.)