By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Washburn University was picked fourth out of 11 teams in the 2022 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Football Preseason Polls, released during Tuesday's MIAA Media Day.
Craig Schurig's Washburn football team, coming off a 7-4 season last fall, was picked fourth in both MIAA preseason polls, released Tuesday. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods received 73 points in the coaches poll, five points behind No. 3 pick Emporia State, and 16 points ahead of Central Oklahoma and Nebraska-Kearney, who tied for the fifth spot.
Washburn received 209 points in the media poll, 49 points behind Emporia State (one first-place vote) and 1 point ahead of Central Oklahoma.
The Ichabods posted a 7-4 record last season.
Washburn coach Craig Schurig, the dean of MIAA head coaches in terms of service with 22 seasons, said the MIAA may be more balanced than it's ever been.
"That's what makes our conference so tough,'' said Schurig, who has a 137-92 career coaching record. "Obviously by the end of the year there's going to be a couple teams that have kind of separated themselves like usual but it's the three through 10 and those are hard games.
"Sometimes the bottom team has had a rough year or whatever, but it's tough. You go toe to toe. When you look at some of the other teams you're like well they're seventh or eighth but those games will be damn hard so you've got to play really well every week. There's no week off.''
Defending MIAA champion Pittsburg State was tabbed No. 1 in both the coaches and media preseason polls.
The 2023 MIAA football season officially kicks off Thursday, August 31 with Washburn traveling to Pittsburg State.
In the coaches poll, Pittsburg State earned 98 total votes and eight first-place votes. Northwest Missouri earned three first-place votes and totaled 93 points to finished second.
The Gorillas also topped the preseason media poll, collecting 22 first-place votes and 320 points.
Northwest Missouri was ranked second by the media with 302 points and seven first-place votes.
2023 MIAA Football Coaches Poll
1) Pittsburg State – 98 Points [8 First-Place Votes]
2) Northwest Missouri – 93 Points [3 First-Place Votes]
3) Emporia State – 78 Points
4) Washburn – 73 Points
T5) Central Oklahoma – 57 Points
T5) Nebraska-Kearney – 57
7) Central Missouri – 44 Points
8) Fort Hays State – 37 Points
9) Missouri Western – 32 Points
10) Missouri Southern – 26 Points
11) Northeastern State – 10 Points
2023 MIAA Football Preseason Media Poll
1) Pittsburg State – 320 Points [22 First-Place Vote]
2) Northwest Missouri – 302 Points [7 First-Place Votes]
3) Emporia State – 258 Points [1 First-Place Vote]
4) Washburn – 209 Points
5) Central Oklahoma – 208 Points
6) Nebraska Kearney – 199 Points
7) Central Missouri – 124 Points
8) Missouri Southern – 116 Points
9) Missouri Western – 113 Points
10) Fort Hays State – 98 Points
11) Northeastern State – 33 Points
