The football season for Division III schools doesn't begin until next weekend, but the MIAC is out with its 2008 football preview. The 46-page PDF document is downloadable here.
The MIAC's football season is shaping up to be a very competitive one, as evidenced by the conference's preseason coaches poll. Coming off a 5-5 campaign, Augsburg is picked to finish sixth in the nine-team MIAC race, according to the conference coaches.
And in the preseason D3Football.com Top 25 national poll, five MIAC teams get a mention -- including Augsburg! Bethel is ranked No. 5, while St. John's is ranked No. 6. Three MIAC teams are in the "Others Receiving Votes" category -- St. Olaf (23 votes), Concordia-Moorhead (4 votes) and Augsburg (3 votes). And among other teams, Augsburg's Week 2 (Sept. 13) and home-opener opponent, Wartburg (Iowa), is ranked No. 23 in the national poll.
The other major Division III national poll, from the American Football Coaches Association, doesn't start until mid-September.
Click here for Augsburg's preseason football preview. It's just a week until Augsburg's season opener, at Crown on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 1 p.m.
One other reminder ... You can hear all 10 Augsburg football games online, via Stretch Internet. Twin Cities radio veteran Tom Witschen will return to do the play-by-play, with Chris Tubbs on analysis. Tom is a great friend of Augsburg sports, and we're glad to have him back with us after a two-year absence (he broadcast St. Cloud State football in 2006 and 2007). This will be Tom's 10th season behind the microphone for Augsburg football.
-- Don Stoner
