The FCS poll of record dropped its preseason rankings on Monday, and for the ninth year in a row the defending champion will pick up where it left off.
After taking the FCS national championship in January, South Dakota State begins the 2023 campaign a unanimous No. 1 in the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25.
The last time FCS voters did not anoint last season's champ the top team entering the following season was 2014, when Eastern Washington entered No. 1 after North Dakota State won its third consecutive national championship the previous year. The Bison, who started 2014 at No. 2, would go on to win the fourth of five straight titles that winter.
As for this season, the Jackrabbits do not pick up exactly where they left off. Head coach John Stiegelmeier rode into the sunset after 26 seasons leading SDSU football and 35 years with the program. Defensive coordinator Jimmy Rogers was promoted to head coach.
“What does it mean? It means we’re at a point right now that the outside world expects a lot," Rogers said. "But we need to expect more from ourselves than from what you guys expect from us."
A familiar foe starts at No. 2: North Dakota State. SDSU went to Fargo and defeated NDSU 23-21 last October, then doubled their enjoyment with a 45-21 triumph over the Bison in the national championship game.
North Dakota State comes to Brookings for the Dakota Marker Game on Nov. 4.
The full poll:
1. South Dakota State -- 1,400 total points (56 first-place votes)
2. North Dakota State -- 1,329
3. Montana State -- 1,294
4. William & Mary -- 1,172
5. Holy Cross -- 1,113
6. Furman -- 1,035
7. Incarnate Word -- 935
8. Idaho -- 932
9. Samford -- 885
10. Sacramento State -- 881
11. New Hampshire -- 798
12. Southeast Missouri -- 768
13. Weber State -- 744
14. Montana -- 711
15. Southeastern Louisiana -- 710
16. UC Davis -- 513
17. North Dakota -- 479
18. Richmond -- 387
19. North Carolina Central -- 330
20. Mercer -- 293
21. Rhode Island -- 169
22. Delaware -- 166
23. Northern Iowa -- 155
24. Eastern Kentucky -- 137
25. Gardner-Webb -- 129