Alfred Football Ranked 12th in Final Division III Coaches’ Poll
ALFRED, NY – The American Football Coaches Association released its final 2016 coaches' poll today (Dec. 19) and Alfred University is ranked 12
th among Division III teams.
The Saxons' 12
th-place ranking in the AFCA coaches' poll is the highest in school history, eclipsing the 16
th spot the team held in the final regular season poll Nov. 14. The AFCA began a national poll for Division III teams in 1999.
Final 2016 AFCA D-III Coaches' Poll
Alfred's AFCA ranking matches the 12
th spot the Saxons hold in the final D3football.com national poll, released Friday. That ranking is also the best-ever for an AU team, beating the team's previous high of 13
th in the 2010 final poll.
This year's Saxons finished the season with a 12-1 record, with the 12 wins representing a new school single-season record. The previous record of 10 wins was shared by the 1981 and 2010 teams. Alfred won the Empire 8 Conference title with a perfect 8-0 league record and became the first team in the 15-year history of the conference to go through a regular season unbeaten (10-0).
AU won its first two NCAA playoff games at home, against Bridgewater State and Western New England, before falling at home to Mount Union last weekend in the quarterfinals. The two NCAA tournament wins match those of the 2010 team as the most in a single season. This year's Saxons held the top spot in the NCAA's East Region final regular season rankings and were the top seed in their bracket of the NCAA championship tournament.