The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga opens the 2017 season ranked No. 12 in the STATS FCS Top 25. This listing is one of two officially recognized by the NCAA.
A national panel of sports information/media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries select the STATS FCS Top 25. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, with 24 points for second all the way down to one point for a 25th-place tally.
The Top 25 is released every Monday afternoon during the regular season, except for Sunday morning, Nov.
19, prior to the selection of the 24-team FCS playoff field. A final poll follows the FCS championship game played Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas.
The Mocs are coming off a 9-4 season that resulted in their third consecutive trip to the FCS Playoffs. UTC lost at No. 1 Sam Houston State 41-36 in a second-round shootout last year.
Chattanooga's season-opening opponent, Jacksonville State, checks in at No. 6. The Mocs and Gamecocks face off in the Guardian Kickoff Classic on Saturday, Aug. 26. That game airs on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. (E.D.T.) from Montgomery, Ala.
Defending FCS Champion James Madison, collected 134 of the 163 first-place votes and 4,034 points in the national media poll. North Dakota State, Sam Houston State, South Dakota State and Eastern Washington round out the top five.
Other Southern Conference teams in the listing include No. 11 Wofford, No. 16 The Citadel and No. 19 Samford. Mercer and ETSU are among others receiving votes.
Season tickets and mini-plans are on sale now on GoMocs.com. UTC has a five-game home schedule, beginning with UT Martin, which received votes as well, on Sept. 16.
Rank
School
Votes
Prev
1
James Madison (0-0)
4034 (134)
NR
2
North Dakota State (0-0)
3874 (19)
NR
3
Sam Houston State (0-0)
3610 (7)
NR
4
South Dakota State (0-0)
3385 (2)
NR
5
Eastern Washington (0-0)
3270
NR
6
Jacksonville State (0-0)
3081 (1)
NR
7
Richmond (0-0)
3041
NR
8
North Dakota (0-0)
2871
NR
9
Youngstown State (0-0)
2658
NR
10
Villanova (0-0)
2628
NR
11
Wofford (0-0)
2543
NR
12
CHATTANOOGA (0-0)
1995
NR
13
New Hampshire (0-0)
1741
NR
14
Charleston Southern (0-0)
1710
NR
15
Central Arkansas (0-0)
1685
NR
16
Citadel (0-0)
1545
NR
17
Lehigh (0-0)
1369
NR
18
UNI (0-0)
924
NR
19
Samford (0-0)
893
NR
20
Illinois State (0-0)
876
NR
21
Grambling State (0-0)
692
NR
22
Fordham (0-0)
604
NR
23
Cal Poly (0-0)
427
NR
24
Albany (0-0)
418
NR
25
Western Illinois (0-0)
367
NR
Among others receiving votes: UT Martin (90), Mercer (6), ETSU (3).