Aug. 15, 2007
PHILADELPHIA -
The Illinois State football team begins the 2007 season ranked one spot higher than the final poll from 2006, as the Redbirds received 1,227 votes and enter the campaign ranked No. 7 by the Sports Network.
The Redbirds are coming off a 9-4 campaign, which included a trip to the FCS playoffs, the third in school history. The Gateway Football Conference placed three teams in the top-10, including Illinois State, and four in the top-25. Youngstown State is rated No. 5, while Northern Iowa is No. 9 and Southern Illinois enters the season ranked No. 12.
ISU non-conference opponents include future Gateway member North Dakota State, which is ranked No. 4, and in-state rival Eastern Illinois, which is No. 17. South Dakota State, another Gateway addition in 2008, cracked the top-25 with a No. 20 ranking.
Defending national champion Appalachian State earned the No. 1 ranking, followed by Montana, Massachusetts, North Dakota State and Youngstown State. Appalachian State received 67 first-place votes, Montana had three and New Hampshire, which is rated No. 6, had one.
