WACO, TX, — Pittsburg State Football has been slotted at the No. 4 ranking in the American Football Coaches Association Preseason Top 25 Poll, announced on Tuesday.
The Gorillas are the top-ranked MIAA program followed closely behind by Northwest Missouri State at the No. 8 spot.
Pitt State shared the regular season MIAA title with the Bearcats last season, finishing with a 10-3 overall record despite a 0-2 start to the year.
The Gorillas and Bearcats represent the only MIAA programs to earn a preseason ranking. The full list can be seen below:
- Ferris State (Mich.) -- 771 points (31 first-place votes)
- Harding (Ark.) -- 738
- Kutztown (Pa.) -- 684
- Pittsburg State (Kan.) -- 647
- Minnesota State -- 587
- Colorado State-Pueblo -- 581
- Central Washington -- 478
- Northwest Missouri State -- 470
- Grand Valley State (Mich.) -- 451
- UIndy -- 451
- Western Colorado -- 379
- Minnesota-Duluth -- 372
- Ashland (Ore.) -- 328
- Virginia Union -- 318
- Newberry (Ga.) -- 276
- Findlay (Ohio) -- 250
- Frostburg State (Md.) -- 228
- UT-Permian Basin -- 197
- Wingate (NC) -- 183
- Augustana (SD) -- 181
- Albany State (Ga.) -- 172
- Western Oregon -- 165
- Johnson C. Smith (NC) -- 159
- Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) -- 146
- Indiana (Pa.) -- 97
Last season's conference title marked three in four years for the Gorillas. Similarly, the preseason ranking at No. 4 marks a fourth consecutive campaign PSU has earned a top-10 preseason nod.
This is the Gorillas highest preseason ranking since 2023.
Pittsburg State will begin the season against the No. 1 ranked team in the poll and defending national champion, Ferris State, on Thursday, August 27 at Carnie Smith Stadium.
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