South Dakota State has attained a national ranking in both major Football Championship Subdivision polls, checking in at No. 16 in the STATS preseason media poll released Monday.
The Jackrabbits, who finished the 2015 season with a 9-5 overall record and made their third consecutive appearance in the FCS playoffs, were one of six Missouri Valley Football Conference teams in the top 25.
Defending national champion North Dakota State received 144 of 147 first-place votes and 3,671 points to hold the top spot in the rankings, while national runner-up Illinois State placed second with the other three first-place votes and 3,423 points. Northern Iowa rounded out the league’s top-10 teams with a 10th-place showing with 2,212 points.
Rounding out the MVFC contingent in the top 25 were Youngstown State at No. 14, SDSU in 16th place and No. 21 Indiana State. The other four league teams — Southern Illinois, Western Illinois, Missouri State and South Dakota — each received at least one vote in the poll conducted among sports information directors, media members and other dignitaries.
Last week, SDSU was ranked 15th in the FCS Coaches Poll, marking the third consecutive year the Jackrabbits have been ranked in a preseason poll.
The Jackrabbits kick off the 2015 season Sept. 5 at Kansas.
