Minnesota Duluth came in at No. 8 in the 2017 D2football.com preseason poll released Monday, with its first opponent of the season also nabbing a spot in the top 25.
The eighth-ranked Bulldogs will host No. 15 Sioux Falls at 6:05 p.m. Thursday at Malosky Stadium in Duluth. UMD and the Cougars were two of four NSIC schools to land in the preseason poll along with No. 16 Minnesota State-Mankato and No. 17 Bemidji State.
Two-time defending NCAA Division II champion Northwest Missouri State is ranked No. 1, followed by No. 2 Ferris State and No. 3 Grand Valley State.
2017 D2football.com Preseason Poll
Team (2016 record)
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1. Northwest Missouri State (15-0)
2. Ferris State (12-3)
3. Grand Valley State (12-1)
4. Emporia State (11-2)
5. North Alabama (11-2)
6. Texas A&M-Commerce (10-2)
7. Shepherd (13-1)
8. Minnesota Duluth (10-2)
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9. IUP (10-2)
10. Harding (13-1)
11. California (Pa.) (11-1)
12. CSU-Pueblo (8-3)
13. Valdosta State (8-3)
14. Azusa Pacific (9-3)
15. Sioux Falls (12-1)
16. Minnesota State-Mankato (8-3)
17. Bemidji State (9-3)
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18. Ashland (9-2)
19. LIU-Post (12-1)
20. Central Missouri (9-3)
21. Colorado Mines (10-3)
22. Midwestern State (8-3)
23. UNC-Pembroke (10-2)
24. Southern Arkansas (9-3)
25. West Chester (8-3)
