Entering their first season under head coach Chris Brown, the Tiger football team has been selected ninth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches and Media Polls. Northwest Missouri State is the favorite to win a sixth-consecutive MIAA regular season title in both polls with Washburn, the last team other than NWMSU to win the conference regular season (which occurred in 2005), picked second in both polls.

The Tigers were picked ninth out of the 10 teams in the league, ahead of just Lincoln University in both polls, a newcomer to the conference this year in football. Fort Hays State finished last in the 10-team conference last year and Lincoln takes the place of Nebraska-Omaha in the conference, which dropped their football program this past spring. This will be the final year before the league expands to 15 teams in 2012 with the return of Southwest Baptist and the addition of Nebraska-Kearney, Central Oklahoma, Northeastern State (Okla.) and Lindenwood (Mo.).


The polls are nearly identical, with just one change of position between two teams picked in the middle of the pack. Emporia State is picked sixth in the media poll, while Missouri Southern is seventh, but Missouri Southern is sixth in the coaches poll and Emporia State is seventh.

Central Missouri, Missouri Western, and Pittsburg State are picked third through fifth respectively in both polls. Truman is eighth in both polls.

The schedule order is a bit different this year for FHSU as they play two conference games right out of the gate to start the year. Long-time rival Emporia State comes to Hays for the season opener on Thursday, September 1, then the Tigers head to Truman the following Saturday. Non-conference games this year are placed within the schedule, which includes Southwest Baptist and Central Oklahoma.

Preseason polls are listed below...

2011 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Northwest Missouri (7) – 78 pts.
2. Washburn (3) – 71 pts.
3. Central Missouri – 65 pts.
4. Missouri Western – 58 pts.
5. Pittsburg State – 51 pts.
6. Missouri Southern – 34 pts.
7. Emporia State – 33 pts.
8. Truman – 32 pts.
9. Fort Hays State – 19 pts.
10. Lincoln – 9 pts.

2011 MIAA Preseason Media Poll
1. Northwest Missouri (23) – 333 pts.
2. Washburn (7) – 305 pts.
3. Central Missouri (5) – 281 pts.
4. Missouri Western – 252 pts.
5. Pittsburg State – 219 pts.
6. Emporia State – 159 pts.
7. Missouri Southern – 136 pts.
8. Truman – 112 pts.
9. Fort Hays State – 92 pts.
10. Lincoln – 36 pts.