WACO, Texas (SUBMITTED) -- Carson-Newman is ranked No. 9 in the 2010 American Football Coaches Association Preseason Division II Coaches’ Poll, which was released on Monday.

The Eagles are coming off an 11-3 campaign in 2009 in which they won the program’s 21st South Atlantic Conference title and advanced the semifinals of the NCAA playoffs. C-N is the only SAC team in the rankings.

Defending national champion Northwest Missouri State is the favorite to repeat with 22 first-place votes, while Grand Valley State, which defeated C-N in the NCAA semifinals, is ranked No. 2 with three first-place votes. North Alabama will open the season ranked No. 3, followed by Minnesota-Duluth at No. 4 and Central Washington at No. 5.

UNC-Pembroke, which plays C-N on Sept. 25 in Pembroke, N.C., is ranked No. 23.

The Eagles open the 2010 season on Aug. 28 at home against Winona State. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Burke-Tarr Stadium.

2010 American Football Coaches Association Preseason Division II Coaches’ Poll

Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Rank*

1. Northwest Missouri St. (22) 14-1 645 1
2. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (3) 13-2 621 2
3. North Alabama (1) 11-2 580 6
4. Minnesota-Duluth 11-2 549 5
5. Central Washington 12-1 499 3
6. California (Pa.) 11-4 489 7
7. Abilene Christian (Texas) 9-4 435 13
8. West Liberty (W.Va.) 11-2 420 9
9. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 11-3 400 4
10. Washburn (Kan.) 8-3 339 25
11. West Texas A&M 7-5 337 NR
12. West Alabama 8-5 313 21
13. Nebraska-Kearney 11-2 296 8
14. Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) 9-3 235 19
15. Nebraska-Omaha 7-5 232 NR
16. Texas A&M-Kingsville 9-3 216 16
17. Tuskegee (Ala.) 10-2 210 17
18. Hillsdale (Mich.) 10-3 188 11
19. Midwestern St. (Texas) 9-3 163 14
20. Missouri Western St. 9-3 160 NR
21. Minnesota St.-Mankato 10-2 127 12
22. West Chester (Pa.) 7-4 122 NR
23. North Carolina-Pembroke 9-2 115 20
24. Delta St. (Miss.) 5-5 93 NR
25. East Stroudsburg (Pa.) 8-4 74 NR
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2009

Others Receiving Votes: Texas A&M-Commerce, 73; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 59; Bemidji St. (Minn.), 56; Wingate (N.C.), 49; Bloomsburg (Pa.), 34; Tarleton St. (Texas), 32; Albany St. (Ga.), 30; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 28; Colorado School of Mines, 27; St. Cloud State (Minn.), 17; Benedict (S.C.), 16; Morehouse (Ga.), 15; Indiana (Pa.), 14; Shaw (N.C.), 14; West Virginia St., 14; Augustana (S.D.), 13; Findlay (Ohio), 13; Winona St. (Minn.), 13; Central Missouri, 11; Charleston (W.Va.), 11; Shippensburg (Pa.), 11; Angelo St. (Texas), 9; Shepherd (W.Va.), 9; Bentley (Mass.), 8; Chadron St. (Neb.), 6; Southern Connecticut St., 6; Arkansas Tech, 4; Southeastern Oklahoma St., 4; Edinboro (Pa.), 3; C.W. Post (N.Y.), 2; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 1; Henderson St. (Ark.), 1; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 1; Wayne St. (Neb.), 1; Western Oregon, 1.