MINNEAPOLIS - The Capital University football team was listed among the top teams in the country in the D3football.com Top 25 Preseason Poll, which was released on Tuesday.
CU was among the "Others Receiving Votes" with 56 points, which was the 31st most of any school and third most among Ohio Athletic Conference members. Defending NCAA Division III and OAC Champion Mount Union was the top selection with 623 overall points and 23 of 25 first-place votes. Otterbein was ranked 24th with 121 points. In addition, John Carroll had seven points.
The D3football.com Top 25 Poll is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly. Schools receive 25 points for a first-place vote, 24 for a second-place vote and one point for a 25th-place vote.
Capital finished with a 5-5 overall record in 2008 under the direction of first-year head coach Jim Bickel. The Crusaders placed fifth in an Ohio Athletic Conference that sent two teams to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season. CU has produced eight straight non-losing seasons and a 62-25 (.713) overall record along with 22 All-America selections since 2001.
The Crusaders open the 2009 season on Sept. 5 when the travel to Adrian for a 6 p.m. non-conference game. Capital then returns home to open the OAC slate on Sept. 19 against Heidelberg at 1:30 p.m.