Football | 8/1/2017 9:28:28 AM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (August 1, 2017) – Defending NCAA Division II National Champion Northwest Missouri received 45 of the total 51 first place votes between the coaches and media polls as both predicted the Bearcats to repeat as league champs. Emporia State who has been in the NCAA Division II Playoffs three of the last four seasons earned five total first place votes and will sit second in both polls.
Central Missouri, who also made a trip to the playoffs last season, got the remaining first place vote and are third in both polls. Fourth and fifth place were divided by five points in the coaches and 36 in the media as Pittsburg State was picked just ahead of Fort Hays State. Washburn earned the sixth spot in both polls ahead of Missouri Western who the coaches picked seventh and Central Oklahoma who got the media nod for the seventh spot.
UCO was eight for the coaches while MWSU earned that spot in the media poll ahead of Lindenwood who earned the ninth spot in each poll. In the coaches 10, 11 and 12 went Northeastern State, Missouri Southern, and Nebraska-Kearney while the media picked it Missouri Southern, Northeastern State, and Nebraska-Kearney.
The season kicks off on August 31 with some key early match-ups as preseason #2 Emporia State travels to preseason #1 Northwest Missouri and preseason #3 Central Missouri will play host to preseason #4 Pittsburg State.
2017 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll
| 1. Northwest Missouri (9) |
118 |
| 2. Emporia State (2) |
108 |
| 3. Central Missouri (1) |
106 |
| 4. Pittsburg State |
88 |
| 5. Fort Hays State |
83 |
| 6. Washburn |
71 |
| 7. Missouri Western |
58 |
| 8. Central Oklahoma |
51 |
| 9. Lindenwood |
37 |
| 10. Northeastern State |
31 |
| 11. Missouri Southern |
24 |
| 12. Nebraska-Kearney |
17 |
2017 MIAA Preseason Media Poll
| 1. Northwest Missouri (36) |
464 |
| 2. Emporia State (3) |
421 |
| 3. Central Missouri |
383 |
| 4. Pittsburg State |
347 |
| 5. Fort Hays State |
316 |
| 6. Washburn |
262 |
| 7. Central Oklahoma |
227 |
| 8. Missouri Western |
215 |
| 9. Lindenwood |
145 |
| 10. Missouri Southern |
108 |
| 11. Northeastern State |
102 |
| 12. Nebraska-Kearney |
52 |