Aug. 7, 2006
NORMAL, Ill. -
How tough is the Gateway Football Conference? Well, Illinois State enters the 2006 season ranked No. 9 in The Sports Network Top-25 Poll, which was released Monday, and the Redbirds are ranked third among the league teams.
ISU, which returns 16 starters from a 7-4 season in 2005, earned its highest preseason ranking since 2000, when the Redbirds were ranked No. 5 at the start of the season. The Redbirds received 1,297 votes to earn their No. 9 ranking.
The defending national champions, Appalachian State, are ranked No. 1, while Northern Iowa is ranked No. 4. Youngstown State earned a No. 7 ranking, while Southern Illinois cracked the poll at No. 17. In addition, ISU opponent Eastern Illinois is also ranked in the preseason poll at No. 14.
The Gateway had three schools receive votes with Western Kentucky getting 179, Missouri State receiving 18 and Western Illinois earning eight.
