DILLON — The NAIA preseason football coaches’ poll was released this week and the Montana Western Bulldogs were voted into the Top 25 rankings by a number of coaches.
The Bulldogs received seven votes in the poll, placing them at number 26 in the nation. Three Frontier Conference opponents were selected to spots in the rankings, in nearly the same position each finished the 2014 season.
Defending national champion Southern Oregon were awarded the top position in the preseason poll. Carroll College landed at number five after finishing last season at number five and Eastern Oregon moved from 15 to the number 13 ranking.
Last season Montana Western lost to both Carroll and Southern Oregon before ending the season with a four game winning streak, which included a 32-28 defeat of then 15 ranked Eastern Oregon.
“We appreciate people recognizing our athletes and coaches for their hard work and dedication,” Bulldog head coach BJ Robertson commented. “National rankings are fun, but our focus is on the Frontier Conference.”
The Bulldogs will face Carroll College, Southern Oregon, and Eastern Oregon in a three-game stretch in the middle of the 2015 season. “We are extremely excited to see how we respond to the ultimate competitive test that is our Frontier Conference schedule,” Robertson said.
— Montana Western Sports Information
| RANK | LAST TIME^ | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2014 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Southern Oregon (10) | 13-2 | 236 |
| 2 | 2 | Marian (Ind.) (1) | 11-3 | 227 |
| 3 | 3 | Morningside (Iowa) | 12-2 | 214 |
| 4 | 4 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 10-3 | 209 |
| 5 | 5 | Carroll (Mont.) | 10-2 | 206 |
| 6 | 6 | Grand View (Iowa) | 11-2 | 191 |
| 7 | 7 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 10-3 | 181 |
| 8 | 8 | Missouri Valley | 9-4 | 172 |
| 9 | 9 | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | 9-2 | 162 |
| 10 | 10 | Faulkner (Ala.) | 9-3 | 153 |
| 11 | 11 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 8-3 | 150 |
| 12 | 12 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 9-2 | 133 |
| 13 | 15 | Eastern Oregon | 8-3 | 119 |
| 14 | 13 | Ottawa (Kan.) | 9-3 | 116 |
| 15 | 14 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 7-4 | 115 |
| 16 | 17 | Baker (Kan.) | 8-3 | 101 |
| 17 | 16 | Valley City State (N.D.) | 9-2 | 84 |
| 18 | 19 | William Penn (Iowa) | 7-4 | 78 |
| 19 | 18 | Langston (Okla.) | 7-5 | 75 |
| 20 | 20 | Robert Morris (Ill.) | 8-3 | 72 |
| 21 | 21 | Friends (Kan.) | 8-3 | 59 |
| 22 | 22 | Doane (Neb.) | 7-3 | 45 |
| 23 | 23 | Webber International (Fla.) | 8-3 | 31 |
| 24 | 24 | Tabor (Kan.) | 7-4 | 30 |
| 25 | 25 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 7-4 | 12 |
Others Receiving Votes: Montana Western 7; Southeastern (Fla.) 3.
^ 2014 NAIA Football Coaches’ Postseason Top 25 Poll (Dec. 22, 2014)
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