A trio of MIAA football teams cracked the AFCA D2 Coaches Preseason Poll, but Northwest Missouri State was left on the outside looking in.
After missing the playoffs for the second year in a row, the Bearcats were left out of the top 25, however, they did receive 21 votes.
Defending national champion Ferris State rolls in No. 1, Harding is No. 2 and Grand Valley State is No. 3. Slippery Rock, the only team other than FSU to receive a first place vote, is fourth and Central Oklahoma rounds out the top five.
Other MIAA schools include Pittsburg State at No. 9 and Central Missouri at No. 22.
Northwest will open the season on the road against Minnesota State, who came into the AFCA Coaches Poll at No. 11. MSU was named the preseason favorite in the NSIC last week.
The Bearcats lost to the Mavericks at home in the first game last year 36-22.
View the full AFCA D2 Coaches Poll here.