The Southwestern College football team enters the season ranked No. 8 in the NAIA preseason coach’s poll.
The latest rankings, released by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Friday, includes two other KCAC teams: Kansas Wesleyan at No. 12 and Bethel at No. 23.
“In addition to returning eight starters on both the offensive and defensive side of the football, there is optimism for several of the team’s young players to step up in 2022, hopefully vaulting the Builders even higher in the minds of the national pollsters,” a press release from SC said.
The Builders finished last season 9-2 and won the KCAC conference title for the first time since 1999. SC fell in the first round of the NAIA Championship Series 21-17 against Marian University in Indianapolis.
Southwestern opens its season Sept. 3 at Ottawa with a 6 p.m. kickoff. Curt Caden will have the play-by-play live on 95.9 Bob FM.