St. Cloud Times

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COLLEGEVILLE — With practices set to start Thursday, national media already is making it clear they expect big things from the St. John’s University football team.

A third major preseason poll — D3football.com — ranks the Johnnies No. 3 in the nation in NCAA Division III. The poll, released Thursday, matches rankings earlier this summer from Lindy’s and Street & Smith polls.

Meanwhile, the NSIC released its annual preseason coaches poll this week and it picks the St. Cloud State Huskies to finish eighth overall in the conference and fourth in the North Division.

For the Johnnies, the No. 3 spot is the highest D3football.com preseason ranking since 2007. It comes in large part because the Johnnies went 12-1 last year, losing in the NCAA quarterfinals to eventual champion Mary Hardin Baylor, which is ranked No. 1.

Ranked second is Mount Union, which Mary Hardin Baylor beat for the title. Ranked seventh is St. Thomas and 10th is Bethel.

St. John’s went 8-0 in MIAC play to claim its MIAC-record 33rd conference title. The Johnnies open the 2019 season with a 1 p.m. kickoff Sept. 7 at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wis.

Similar to St. John’s, St. Cloud State will open its NCAA Division II season on the road with a game at 6 p.m. Sept. 5 at the University of May in Bismarck, N.D. The Huskies finished with an overall record of 7-4 and a 4-3 mark in NSIC play.