2013 FCS football top 25 poll topped by North Dakota State

The Bison will begin their quest for a third straight FCS title atop the polls.

By Peter Berkes Aug 7, 2013, 11:18am EDT

The preseason FCS top 25 poll has been released, and two-time defending champion North Dakota State begins the season at the top of the heap. The Bison took 23 of the 26 first place votes, with second-ranked Montana State, fourth-ranked Sam Houston State, and 19th-ranked Eastern Kentucky (I know, what?) claiming the other three votes. North Dakota State opens the season on Aug. 30 at Kansas State.

Here is the full poll:

Rank	School (First place votes)	Points
1	North Dakota State (23)	645
2	Montana State (1)	591
3	Eastern Washington	549
4	Sam Houston State (1)	534
5	Wofford	450
6	Central Arkansas	428
7	South Dakota State	410
8	New Hampshire	386
9	Villanova	381
10	Illinois State	379
11	Cal Poly	348
12	Towson	347
13	Stony Brook	326
14	Richmond	274
15	James Madison	235
16	Northern Iowa	218
17	Lehigh	198
18	Northern Arizona	196
19	Eastern Kentucky (1)	188
20	Bethune-Cookman	159
21	Coastal Carolina	140
22	Montana	135
23	Eastern Illinois	120
24	Youngstown State	107
25	Chattanooga	104

Also receiving votes: Wagner (87), Colgate (67), Tennessee State (52), Harvard (48), Delaware (47), The Citadel (39), Liberty (39), Arkansas Pine-Bluff (35), Indiana State (27), Stephen F. Austin (19), McNeese State (16), Penn (13), Alcorn State (12), Jacksonville State (11), Samford (10), Norfolk State (7), Alabama State (7), UC Davis (7), Southern Illinois (6), Maine (5), Albany (5), Tennessee Tech (5), UT Martin (4), Gardner Webb (4), Sacramento State (3), Hampton (3), San Diego (2), Jackson State (1), Missouri State (1), Brown (1).