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Sam Houston, McNeeese top Southland Conference polls

7 years 8 months 1 day ago Wednesday, July 27 2016 Jul 27, 2016 July 27, 2016 12:02 PM July 27, 2016 in Sports
Source: WBRZ

LAKE CHARLES - Sam Houston State, hot off an 11-4 season and a run at the national semifinals, has been selected as the favorite heading into upcoming Southland Conference football season.

Sam Houston State tops the polls which were voted on by the league’s coaches and sports information directors. Southland Media Days are underway Wednesday at the L’Auberge Casino in Lake Charles.

McNeese, last year’s regular-champion, came in at the No. 2 spot after the school received the final two first-place votes from the coaches and the final first-place vote from the sports information directors, making for a close election.

The Sam Houston Bearkats will be gunning for their seventh Southland Conference title. They were 7-2 in regular season play last year. They made a semifinals appearance last season for the fourth time in five years.

McNeese wrapped up last regular season as the only FCS team with an unblemished record, going 10-0. The Cowboys will be under the direction of new head coach lance Guidry with 13 returning starters and 69 letterwinners on the roster.

Central Arkansas came in third-place in both polls, but trailed the leaders by more than 10 votes each. They finished 7-4 overall last season.

McNeese will be at Sam Houston on Nov. 5 with a kick-off time yet to be determined.

2016 Southland Conference Preseason Polls

Coaches’ Poll

Pl.

School (First-place votes)

Pts.

1.

Sam Houston State (9)

99

2.

McNeese (2)

92

3.

Central Arkansas

79

4.

Lamar

67

5.

Stephen F. Austin

60

6.

Southeastern Louisiana

57

7.

Northwestern State

45

8.

Abilene Christian

40

9.

UIW

29

10.

Nicholls

26

11.

Houston Baptist

11

 

Sports Information Directors’ Poll

Pl.

School (First-place votes)

Pts.

1.

Sam Houston State (10)

100

2.

McNeese (1)

86

3.

Central Arkansas

84

4.

Lamar

67

5.

Stephen F. Austin

66

6.

Northwestern State

48

7.

Southeastern Louisiana

42

8.

UIW

39

9.

Abilene Christian

37

10.

Nicholls

26

11.

Houston Baptist

10

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