Monmouth Voted 2021 Preseason Football Favorite
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Two-time defending Big South champion Monmouth University has been tabbed the favorite in the conference’s annual preseason football poll for the 2021 campaign as voted by the league’s head coaches and media panel, it was announced today.
The Hawks collected 16 of the 18 first-place votes and finished with 141 points to repeat as league champions. Monmouth, which has appeared in the FCS Playoffs three out of the last four seasons and was ranked No. 10/11 in the final polls, returns 56 letterwinners, 26 starters and 17 All-Conference players from this past spring season. MU went 3-1 in the spring campaign (3-0 in the Big South) and carries a 10-game Big South win streak into the 2021 season –- the fourth-longest in conference history.
Kennesaw State was second in the 2021 preseason balloting with 117 points and received one first-place vote. New Big South member North Carolina A&T claimed third-place in the poll with 100 points, while Charleston Southern was fourth with 85 points and received the remaining first-place nod. Campbell was predicted fifth in the preseason ranking with 82 points, while Gardner-Webb landed in the sixth position (59 points). Hampton claimed seventh-place (35 points) and Robert Morris landed in the final spot with 29 points.
Associate member North Alabama is not eligible for the preseason ranking again this year as part of its transition to Division I, as the Lions are not eligible for the Big South regular-season championship nor the FCS Playoffs during their transition period.
2021 PRESEASON FOOTBALL POLL
| Rank - School (first-place votes) |
Points |
| 1 - Monmouth (16) |
141 |
| 2 - Kennesaw State (1) |
117 |
| 3 - North Carolina A&T |
100 |
| 4 - Charleston Southern (1) |
85 |
| 5 - Campbell |
82 |
| 6 - Gardner-Webb |
59 |
| 7 - Hampton |
35 |
| 8 - Robert Morris |
29 |
Note: points are based on a weighted system, with first-place votes receiving 8 points, followed by 7 points for second-place, and so on.