Link to Story at Athlonsports.com
Once again earning a top 20 ranking in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, the Eastern Washington University football team is No. 20 in the Athlon Sports Preseason Top 25 rankings announced Tuesday (June 2) at athlonsports.com.
Athlon also lists Eastern as a projected playoff qualifier as an at-large qualifier. Eastern was ranked No. 18 in the preseason HERO SPORTS Top 25 rankings released May 27.
The Big Sky Conference had five teams recognized in the Athlon Sports rankings, including four among the top 12. Weber State was predicted to be the league's champion and ranked No. 3, followed by Montana State (fifth), Montana (seventh) and Sacramento State (12th). In the HERO Sports poll, Sac State earned the No. 4 spot, followed by Weber State at No. 6, Montana at No. 7, Montana State at No. 9, and Eastern Washington at No. 18.
All five of those Big Sky Conference teams were predicted by Athlon to make the 24-team playoff field, something that didn't happen in 2019 when those same five teams have outstanding campaigns. The Athlon rankings and predictions were made by Craig Haley, the FCS Senior Editor for STATS (now known as Stats Perform).
Although Eastern finished 7-5 overall and finished in a tie for second in the Big Sky with a 6-2 record, Eastern was passed up for the 2019 FCS Playoffs. Sacramento State, Weber State, Montana, and Montana State all represented the league in the postseason, and all four received first-round byes. Weber State and Montana State advanced to the semifinals, Montana to the quarterfinals and Sac State fell in the second round.
The two major polls – the STATS media poll and the AFCA coaches poll – will be announced closer to the start of the season. The Eagles were unranked in both polls following the conclusion of the 2019 season.
Nevertheless, after finishing second in the final STATS top 25 poll of the 2018 season, Eastern has had a top four finish six times in the past 10 years (2010-2019). In the 2015 season, Eastern extended its string of nationally-ranked weeks to 57 before the streak was ended with the final poll of the season, then followed with a 46-week streak that ended in the 2019 season -- a span of 103 of 104 polls.
The 2018 season was the 15th time Eastern has finished the season nationally ranked, including 11 times since 2004. The other seasons were in 1985, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Seven times the Eagles have finished in the top four – fourth in 1997, 2012, 2014 and 2016; third in 2013; second in 2018; and first in 2010 after winning the NCAA Division I title.
Athlon Sports Preseason Top 25
1 North Dakota State
2 Northern Iowa
3 Weber State
4 James Madison
5 Montana State
6 South Dakota State
7 Montana
8 Villanova
9 Illinois State
10 Kennesaw State
11 Central Arkansas
12 Sacramento State
13 Austin Peay
14 Nicholls
15 New Hampshire
16 Sam Houston State
17 Southeastern Louisiana
18 Furman
19 Southern Illinois
20 Eastern Washington
21 The Citadel
22 Wofford
23 Albany
24 Jacksonville State
25 Towson
Projected Playoff Qualifiers
Austin Peay (Ohio Valley champ)
Central Arkansas (Southland champ)
Central Connecticut State (Northeast champ)
Eastern Washington (at-large qualifier)
Furman (Southern champ)
Holy Cross (Patriot champ)
Illinois State (at-large qualifier)
James Madison (CAA champ)
Kennesaw State (Big South champ)
Montana (at-large qualifier)
Montana State (at-large qualifier)
New Hampshire (at-large qualifier)
Nicholls (at-large qualifier)
North Dakota State (Missouri Valley champ)
Northern Iowa (at-large qualifier)
Sacramento State (at-large qualifier)
Sam Houston State (at-large qualifier)
San Diego (Pioneer champ)
South Dakota State (at-large qualifier)
Southeastern Louisiana (at-large qualifier)
Southern Illinois (at-large qualifier)
The Citadel (at-large qualifier)
Villanova (at-large qualifier)
Weber State (Big Sky champ)
