Football | 08/19/24 | 7:07 PM

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the results of its Preseason Football Coaches' Poll, presented by GoRout. Carroll College appears on the initial poll in the receiving votes category.

Following a final rank of No. 14 in the 2023 NAIA Football Coaches' Poll, the Fighting Saints (7-3) find themselves in the receiving votes portion of the annual preseason poll in 2024.

Carroll, who boasts the nation's most No. 1 rankings in the poll's history (57 weeks), finds themselves with work to do as they aim to return to the level of dominance showcased throughout the 2000's and early 2010's. 

Half of the Saints' 10-game schedule will be contested with teams listed on the preseason poll (No. 4 College of Idaho, No. 11 Montana Western, No. 21 Montana Tech [x2], RV Southern Oregon).

Carroll spent all of the 2023 season inside the nation's top-25, peaking at a No. 6 ranking following a 6-0 start to the season.

The last time Carroll began the season in the receiving votes portion of the preseason poll proved fruitful, and the Saints aim for a repeat this Fall. The 2022 team began the season in the receiving votes category and went on to win the 45th conference championship in program history outright, toppling then-ranked No. 11 College of Idaho in the season finale to secure the league's only NAIA Football Championship Series selection.

The Saints will begin their season with No. 21 Montana Tech coming to town for a non-conference battle on the newly renovated Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium on September 7.

The full NAIA GoRout Football Preseason Poll results are as follows:

Poll Methodology:

• The rating is rated by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences. Each conference is given one rater for every four schools in the league or division.
• The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each rater rates the best teams. A team receives 25 points for each first-place vote, 24 for second-place, 23 for third-place and so on through the list.
• The highest and lowest ratings for each team (a non-rating is considered a low rating) are removed. The team's rating will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the team appears on.
• Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered "receiving votes."

Receiving Votes: Southern Oregon 26; Carroll (Mont.) 21; Concordia (Mich.) 13; Ottawa (Kan.) 2; Pikeville (Ky.) 2

Visit www.carrollathletics.com to stay up to date on everything going on in Carroll Athletics.

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