HAMMOND, La. –  The Southeastern Louisiana University football team is ranked 19^th in the 2022 Athlon Sports FCS Preseason Top 25, which was released on Monday.
 
SLU, one of six teams to be ranked in the final FCS top 25 polls in each of the past three seasons, is the lone Southland Conference school represented in the poll. 

Southeastern will be looking to advance to the postseason for the second straight season and third time in the past four years. SLU returns 11 All-Southland performers from a 2021 squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA FCS Playoffs.
 
The Lions report back to the campus on Aug. 4 with the team's first practice set for Aug. 5. Southeastern will open the 2022 season with a 6 p.m. game Sept. 3 at UL Lafayette. The five-game home schedule begins with a 6 p.m. Sept. 17 contest versus Central Connecticut State and includes visits from Murray State (Oct. 1, 6 p.m. – Hall of Fame Game), Southland newcomer Texas A&M-Commerce (Oct. 8, 4 p.m. - Homecoming), HBU (Nov. 5, 6 p.m.) and Northwestern State (Nov. 12, 6 p.m.).
 
2022 Athlon Sports FCS Preseason Top 25
1. North Dakota State
2. South Dakota State
3. Montana
4. Montana State
5. Missouri State
6. Sacramento State
7. Southern Illinois
8. Villanova
9. Kennesaw State
10. Stephen F. Austin
11. Holy Cross
12. Chattanooga
13. Weber State
14. Rhode Island
15. Eastern Washington
16. UIW
17. Mercer
18. ETSU
19. Southeastern
20. Delaware
21. Northern Iowa
22. Jackson State
23. William & Mary
24. Eastern Kentucky
25. Elon