FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State Football is receiving votes in the AFCA Division II Preseason Top 25 Poll, released on Monday (Aug. 15). The Tigers were receiving votes in several weekly polls last year – a season that saw them finish 8-4 overall with a trip to the Mineral Water Bowl, the first postseason game for the program in 20 years.
The Tigers received six votes in the initial poll. FHSU is one of six teams from the MIAA referenced in the poll, three among the top 25 and three receiving votes. Leading that list is defending national champion Northwest Missouri State, which starts the year at No. 1. Also earning top 25 nods are Central Missouri at No. 20 and Emporia State at No. 23. Emporia State made the NCAA playoffs last year, while Fort Hays State tied Central Missouri at 8-3 in the regular season and kept Central Missouri out of a potential bowl game or playoffs by winning the head-to-head matchup in Hays. Joining the Tigers in the receiving votes section is Pittsburg State with 88 votes and Central Oklahoma with three votes.
The MIAA schedule proves to be a tough one once again this year with half of the teams referenced in the preseason national poll. FHSU opens the year with Missouri Southern on September 1 in Hays before facing two of the teams referenced in the poll in weeks two and three. FHSU travels to No. 20 Central Missouri on September 8, then hosts Central Oklahoma on September 17.
Below is the 2016 AFCA Division II Preseason Top 25 Poll.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Record | Pts. | Prev Rank* |
| 1. | Northwest Missouri St. (29) | 15-0 | 749 | 1 |
| 2. | West Georgia (1) | 12-2 | 676 | 3 |
| 3. | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 12-3 | 658 | 4 |
| 4. | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 13-1 | 638 | 2 |
| 5. | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 12-2 | 581 | 5 |
| 6. | Ashland (Ohio) | 10-1 | 523 | 10 |
| 7. | Minnesota St. | 10-2 | 466 | 13 |
| 8. | Indiana (Pa.) | 9-3 | 364 | 19 |
| 9t. | Henderson St. (Ark.) | 11-2 | 363 | 12 |
| 9t. | Texas A&M-Commerce | 8-4 | 363 | 23 |
| 11. | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 12-2 | 360 | 7 |
| 12. | Ferris St. (Mich.) | 11-1 | 359 | 6 |
| 13. | Humboldt St. (Calif.) | 10-2 | 353 | 16 |
| 14. | Midwestern St. (Texas) | 10-2 | 344 | 9 |
| 15. | North Alabama | 9-3 | 330 | 15 |
| 16. | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 10-2 | 276 | 18 |
| 17. | Tuskegee (Ala.) | 10-3 | 241 | 11 |
| 18. | Colorado School of Mines | 8-3 | 228 | NR |
| 19. | Minnesota-Duluth | 9-3 | 196 | NR |
| 20. | Central Missouri | 8-3 | 184 | NR |
| 21. | Assumption (Mass.) | 11-2 | 144 | 17 |
| 22. | Catawba (N.C.) | 9-3 | 140 | 25 |
| 23. | Sioux Falls (S.D.) | 9-3 | 125 | 21t |
| 24. | Emporia St. (Kan.) | 11-3 | 124 | 8 |
| 25. | Augustana (S.D.) | 9-3 | 119 | 24 |
*Previous rank is ranking from the final 2015 poll.
Others Receiving Votes: Florida Tech, 107; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 99; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 88; West Chester (Pa.), 82; Winston-Salem St. (N.C.), 74; Charleston (W.Va.), 60; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 53; Colorado Mesa, 50; Harding (Ark.), 40; Albany St. (Ga.), 34; Virginia Union, 29; California (Pa.), 25; Angelo St. (Texas), 19; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 13; Miles (Ala.), 11; Delta St. (Miss.), 9; Michigan Tech, 9; Western Oregon, 9; West Texas A&M, 8; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 6; Bowie St. (Md.), 4; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 4; Central Oklahoma, 3; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 3; Ohio Dominican, 2; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 2; Bemidji St. (Minn.), 1; McKendree (Ill.), 1; Newberry (S.C.), 1.