NEW YORK – The Illinois State football program will open the 2015 season ranked No. 2 overall in the STATS FCS Top 25 preseason poll, the organization announced Monday.
Four-time national champion North Dakota State will open the season as the poll's No. 1 team, as the Bison garnered 144 of the 147 first-place votes cast, while Illinois State earned the remaining first-place votes. The 2014 Missouri Valley Football Conference co-champions, who met in the FCS National Championship last year, claimed the same two spots in the FCS Coaches Poll, announced Aug. 5.
The Redbirds and Bison grabbed the top two spots in the STATS Top 25, but all 10 of the teams from the MVFC were recognized in Monday's preseason poll. UNI (No. 10), Youngstown State (No. 14), South Dakota State (No. 16) and Indiana State (No. 21) all had reserved spots in the Top 25, while Southern Illinois, Western Illinois, Missouri State and South Dakota also received votes.Â
Slated just behind NDSU and Illinois State in the STATS poll were Sam Houston State, Villanova and Coastal Carolina. Eastern Washington, Jacksonville State, Chattanooga, New Hampshire and UNI rounded out the top 10.Â
Fresh off a season in which they won a program-record 13 games and advanced to a national championship game, the 2015 Redbirds open the season Sept. 5 at Iowa. The Redbirds return 11 starters, including STATS preseason All-Americans Tre Roberson, Marshaun Coprich, Pat Meehan and Teddy Corwin.
Illinois State's first home game at Hancock Stadium is set for Sept. 12 against Morgan State.Â
To purchase tickets, contact the Illinois State Athletics Ticket Office at (309) 438-8000 or visit GoRedbirds.com.Â
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.Â
