College Fanz polls Carroll 2nd

The Daily Inter Lake

Grand Island, Neb. - Carroll College is ranked No. 1 in the College Fanz Sports Network National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Football Preseason Top 25 poll.

NAIA national champs University of Sioux Falls open at the No. 1 spot. The Cougars downed Carroll 23-7 for the title and a perfect season in 2008.

Sioux Falls returns enough experience to be labeled No. 1.

Carroll has played for the national championship six times in the last seven seasons. The Fighting Saints were 13-1 last year.

Rounding out the top five are Lindenwood University, University of St. Fancis and the University of the Cumberlands.

Dickinson State is ranked No. 12, while Montana State University-Northern checks in at No. 19 and Minot State is No. 20.

According to a College Fanz press release, its the world's largest online college sports community, with students, alumni, and other fans of college sports. It's the latest venture from Bill Rasmussen, the visionary who created ESPN.

College Fanz boasts over 22,000 Web pages devoted to more than 1,450 colleges and universities competing in over 225,000 NCAA and NAIA athletic events. Additional information is available at http://www.CollegeFanz.com.

College Fanz

NAIA Football Pre-season Top 25

Rank School 2008 Record

1. Sioux Falls (S.D.) 14-0

2. Carroll College 13-1

3. Lindenwood (Mo.) 11-2

4. St. Francis (Ind.) 12-1

5. Cumberlands (Ky.) 10-2

6. Morningside (Iowa) 10-2

7. Langston (Okla.) 10-3

8. Shorter (Ga.) 9-3

9. Baker (Kan.) 8-4

10. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) 10-1

11. Union (Ky.) 9-3

12. Dickinson State (N.D.) 7-4

13. Lambuth (Tenn.) 8-4

14. Virginia-Wise 8-3

15. St. Ambrose (Iowa) 8-4

16. Friends (Kan.) 10-1

17. St. Xavier (Ill.) 7-4

18. Missouri Valley 7-3

19. Montana State-Northern 7-3

20. Minot State (N.D.) 6-4

21. St. Francis (Ill.) 7-4

22. Ottawa (Kan.) 8-2

23. Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 7-3

24. Jamestown (S.D.) 7-3

25. McKendree (Ill.) 6-4