Aug. 26, 2009

Sports Network FCS Top-25 Poll

Bronx, N.Y. -

The first Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision Top-25 Poll of 2009 was released with the Fordham University Rams among a group of team in the also receiving votes category.

The Rams received ten points in the voting process which is open to the media and NCAA FCS school sports information directors.

For a record fourth consecutive year, Appalachian State was voted as the No. 1 team in The Sports Network FCS preseason top-25 poll.

The Mountaineers (11-3 last season) received 79 first-place votes out of a record 160 ballots cast to top No. 2 Richmond, the team that ended Appalachian State's unprecedented three-year reign as NCAA Division I national champion last fall.

Appalachian State, which finished fifth in last year's season-ending poll, tallied 3,853 points to beat out the Spiders (3,792) by 61 points. Richmond (13-3) received 72 first-place votes.

Montana, Northern Iowa and Villanova all received two first-place votes apiece, while James Madison, Weber State and South Carolina State each earned one first-place vote.

Montana, coming off an appearance in the 2008 national championship game, finished third in the balloting, followed by Northern Iowa and Villanova. The fifth-place result is Villanova's highest finish ever in the preseason poll.

Completing the rest of the top 10 were James Madison, Southern Illinois, New Hampshire, Weber State and Wofford.

In the Patriot League, Holy Cross was ranked 25th while Colgate (319), Lafayette (17) and Lehigh (16) also received votes.

Fordham will open the 2009 season on Saturday, September 5th, when the Rams travel to Kingston, R.I., to face the University of Rhode Island at 1:00 p.m. Season tickets are now available on the Fordham Athletic Website at www.fordhamsports.com.