11 Aug 2021 Bears 14th in preseason stats perform poll
CONWAY – The University of Central Arkansas Bears were 14th in the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25 poll released on Monday.
UCA, coming off a 5-4 season last fall, drew 561 votes. A national media panel selects the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.
The Bears, who opened fall camp on Saturday, will begin the 2021 season at Sept. 4 in Jonesboro against FBS Arkansas State.
STATS PERFORM FCS PRESEASON TOP 25
(With fall 2020/spring 2021 record unless noted)
1. Sam Houston (10-0, 6-0 Southland), 1,228 points (39 first-place votes)
Season Opener: Sept. 2 at Northern Arizona
2. James Madison (7-1, 3-0 CAA), 1,180 (8)
Season Opener: Sept. 4 vs. Morehead State
3. South Dakota State (8-2, 5-1 Missouri Valley), 1,156 (3)
Season Opener: Sept. 3 at Colorado State
4. North Dakota State (7-3, 5-2 Missouri Valley), 1,116
Season Opener: Sept. 4 vs. Albany
5. Delaware (7-1, 4-0 CAA), 1,017
Season Opener: Sept. 2 at Maine
6. Weber State (5-1, 5-0 Big Sky), 927
Season Opener: Sept. 2 at Utah
7. Southern Illinois (6-4, 3-3 Missouri Valley), 888
Season Opener: Sept. 2 at Southeast Missouri
8. North Dakota (5-2, 4-1 Missouri Valley), 886
Season Opener: Sept. 4 at Idaho State
9. Montana (2-0), 778
Season Opener: Sept. 4 at Washington
10. Jacksonville State (10-3, 6-1 Ohio Valley), 744
Season Opener: Sept. 1 vs. UAB
11. Eastern Washington (5-2, 5-1 Big Sky), 659
Season Opener: Sept. 2 at UNLV
12. Montana State (2019: 11-4, 6-2 Big Sky), 654
Season Opener: Sept. 4 at Wyoming
13. Monmouth (3-1, 3-0 Big South), 618
Season Opener: Sept. 4 at Middle Tennessee
14. Central Arkansas (5-4), 561
Season Opener: Sept. 4 at Arkansas State
15. Southeastern Louisiana (4-3, 4-2 Southland), 559
Season Opener: Sept. 4 vs. North Alabama
16. Villanova (2-2 CAA), 440
Season Opener: Sept. 4 at Lehigh
17. VMI (6-2, 6-1 Southern), 397
Season Opener: Sept. 4 vs. Davidson
18. Chattanooga (3-2, 3-1 Southern), 295
Season Opener: Sept. 2 vs. Austin Peay
19. Kennesaw State (4-1, 2-1 Big South), 255
Season Opener: Sept. 2 vs. Reinhardt
20. Austin Peay (4-5, 4-2 Ohio Valley), 227
Season Opener: Sept. 2 at Chattanooga
21. Northern Iowa (3-4 Missouri Valley), 219
Season Opener: Sept. 4 at Iowa State
22. Nicholls (4-3 Southland), 173
Season Opener: Sept. 4 at Memphis
23. UC Davis (3-2 Big Sky), 172
Season Opener: Sept. 2 at Tulsa
24. Missouri State (5-5, 5-1 Missouri Valley), 168
Season Opener: Sept. 4 at Oklahoma State
25. North Carolina A&T (2019: 9-3, 6-2 MEAC), 159
Season Opener: Sept. 4 at Furman
Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Murray State (5-2 Ohio Valley) 157, Richmond (3-1 CAA) 113, ETSU (4-2 Southern) 99, Sacramento State (2019: 9-4, 7-1 Big Sky) 57, Alabama A&M (5-0, 4-0 SWAC) 49, Florida A&M (2019: 9-2, 7-1 MEAC) 47, New Hampshire (0-1 CAA) 42, Alcorn State (2019: 9-4, 6-1 SWAC) 35, Holy Cross (3-1, 3-0 Patriot) 22, Samford (4-3 Southern) 20, UIW (3-3 Southland) 19, Sacred Heart (3-2, 2-1 Northeast) 17, Albany (1-3 CAA) 14, Illinois State (1-3 Missouri Valley) 10, Rhode Island (2-1 CAA) 10, South Carolina State (3-1) 10, Stephen F. Austin (6-4) 10, Duquesne (4-1, 4-0 Northeast) 4, Southeast Missouri (4-4, 4-3 Ohio Valley) 3.
