The SUNY Cortland football team has been picked as the favorite to win the 2008 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) title in a preseason poll of the league's 10 coaches. The poll was released on Tuesday, August 5, at the NJAC Football Media Day in Union, N.J.
In addition, Cortland is ranked 22nd in the
D3football.com preseason national poll, which was also announced on Tuesday.
The Red Dragons received seven of the 10 first-place votes in the NJAC poll. Cortland has tied for first in the league standings each of the last three seasons, including a 6-1 league mark last year. Montclair State is second in the preseason poll, with Rowan, league newcomer Brockport and last season's co-champion The College of New Jersey rounding out the top five.
Cortland, 8-3 overall last fall, earned 122 points in the D3football.com poll. Perennial power Mount Union, last year's national runner-up, is first with 618 points, including 19 of 25 first-place votes, followed by national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater with 567 points and five first-place votes. Cortland is the lone NJAC school in the top 25, with The College of New Jersey, Montclair and Rowan all among the first 14 schools in the "others receiving votes" section. A panel of 25 coaches, sports information directors and media members from across the country selects the poll.
Cortland has been ranked in the top 25 in two preseason Division III polls. The Red Dragons are rated 13th by USA Today Sports Weekly magazine. Cortland opens the season at Morrisville, another new NJAC member this fall, on September 6.
2008 NJAC Football Preseason Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses)
1) CORTLAND (7)
2) Montclair St. (1)
3) Rowan (1)
4) Brockport
5) TCNJ (1)
6) Kean
7) Western Conn. St.
8) Buffalo St.
9) William Paterson
10) Morrisville
2008 D3football.com Preseason Poll
1. Mount Union (Ohio)
2. Wisconsin-Whitewater
3. Wesley (Del.)
4. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas)
5. Bethel (Minn.)
6. St. John's (Minn.)
7. Capital (Ohio)
8. Muhlenberg (Pa.)
9. Central (Iowa)
10. St. John Fisher
11. Wabash (Ind.)
12. Salisbury (Md.)
13. Washington & Jefferson (Pa.)
14. Wisconsin-Eau Claire
15. North Central (Ill.)
16. Ohio Northern
17. Wheaton (Ill.)
18. Ithaca
19. Case Western Reserve (Ohio)
20. Trinity (Texas)
21. Franklin (Ind.)
22. CORTLAND
23. Wartburg (Iowa)
24. Redlands (Calif.)
25. Mississippi College