Salisbury and Fisher Football Ranked in D3football.com Preseason Poll
The Salisbury University and St. John Fisher College football teams will enter the 2013 season ranked among the nation's top programs. The Sea Gulls are ranked 16th overall, while the Cardinals are ranked 24th in the D3football.com preseason top 25 poll.
Salisbury (2012: 9-3, 6-1 Empire 8) earned 245 points in the poll, topping Johns Hopkins University (239), while Fisher (2012: 8-3, 4-3 Empire 8) earned 48 points.
Buffalo State College (2012: 6-4, 4-3 Empire 8) and Ithaca College (2012: 6-4, 4-3 Empire 8) were amongst the other schools receiving votes.
Defending champion University of Mount Union returns five starters from last season and topped the poll with 13 first-place votes. Last year's runner-up University of St. Thomas finished second with seven first-place votes while Linfield College earned five first-place votes and placed fourth.
Salisbury opens up the 2013 season by facing two teams that advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2012 in Christopher Newport University and fifth-ranked Wesley College (529 points). The Sea Gulls play host to CNU on Sept. 7 for the 2013 home opener and travel to Dover a week later (Sept. 14) to play the NCAA quarterfinalist Wolverines.
Salisbury advanced to its third consecutive NCAA tournament in 2012 after winning its second straight conference championship. The Sea Gulls defeated Rowan University, 17-9, in the first round before falling to Widener on the road.
Fisher will open the 2013 season on the road at Otterbein College on September 7. Five of Fisher's 10 opponents are ranked or received votes in the preseason poll.
The Cardinals return several key players from last year's squad that advanced to the postseason for the 10th straight year, earning a 63-7 victory over Castleton St. in the ECAC Northwest Championship Bowl.
Click Here to view the full D3football.com preseason poll.