INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) football coaches have picked Southwest Baptist University to win the GLVC Championship this fall, it was announced Friday at the sixth-annual GLVC Football Kickoff in Lebanon, Illinois.
After conference records of 1-7 and 3-5 in the 2014 and 2015 seasons, respectively, the Bearcats flipped the script and earned a share of their first-ever GLVC Championship with a 7-1 mark in league play with a 10-2 mark overall. SBU totaled 48 points for the top spot in the poll, including six of the eight first-place votes. Under the direction of third-year head man Robert Clardy, who was voted GLVC Coach of the Year by his peers, set 28 different school records during their historic 2016 season. Alongside the records and GLVC title, the Bearcats earned their first-ever national and regional rankings, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Playoffs for the first time in program history. SBU returns 17 starters, including nine All-GLVC honorees and reigning GLVC Offensive Player of the Year, junior quarterback T.J. Edwards.
Truman State University has been picked to finish second in the league in 2017, following an 8-3 season in which its 7-1 conference mark earned the Bulldogs their first-ever share of the GLVC Championship. Truman recorded 41 points in the poll, including the final two first-place votes. Gregg Nesbitt returns for his eighth year as head coach, and will guide a Truman squad that returns 14 starters, including six on offensive, seven on defense and one on special teams. Sophomore quarterback Jaden Barr will return under center after earning GLVC Freshman of the Year and second-team All-Conferene accolades last year. The defense will be paced by five All-GLVC returnees, including reigning first-team selections sophomore lineman Sam Reeves and senior linebacker Ben Wellman.
McKendree University is picked to finish third this season, having garnered 36 points in the preseason poll. The Bearcats finished the campaign 8-3 last year, including 6-2 for third place in league action. McKendree won its final five games of the 2016 season, marking the second time in three years that the Bearcats put together a five-game win streak to close a season. Fifth-year head coach Mike Babcock returns 18 starters, including nine on offense, seven on defense, and two on special teams. His squad set a program record with 53 quarterback sacks in 2016, eight of which belonged to first-team All-GLVC lineman and returning senior Tobias Cook. Two of the four starting defenders lost to graduation including two of the last three GLVC Defensive Players of the Year in A.J. Wentland (2016) and Lucky Baar (2014), who also became the NCAA career sacks leader last year.
The University of Indianapolis is slated to finish fourth this year as the Greyhounds accumulated 35 points in the poll. UIndy was fourth in the GLVC a year ago with a 6-5 record and 5-3 mark in conference play. The four-time GLVC Champions return 14 starters this year, including first-team All-Conference running back Andrew Walker, who enters his final season with 2,671 career rushing yards – 1,140 markers shy of the school record. Bob Bartolomeo returns for his eighth season at the helm of the Greyhounds with a 58-23 record.
Missouri S&T earned 22 points to edged out Quincy University’s 21 points to finish fifth in the poll. The Miners, who are coached by fifth-year head man Tyler Fenwick, were 5-6 overall and 4-4 in league play last year. Junior Braxton Graham is back as the reigning GLVC Special Teams Player of the Year, having also earned first-team All-GLVC recognition at both wide receiver and kick returner last year. Quincy returns 16 starters to a 5-6 ballclub that finished 3-5 in league play. The Hawks finished sixth in the 2016 standings and will now look to improve upon that position under interim head coach Gary Bass.
Closing out the poll in the No. 7 position is William Jewell College (1-9, 1-7), which garnered 11 points overall and is mentored by third-year head man Shawn Weigel. The Cardinals were one marker better than No. 8 Lincoln University (2-9, 0-8), now under the direction of first-year head coach Steven A. Smith.
The 2017 season begins on Thursday, August 31, with six schools in action, including Indianapolis hosting Grand Valley State and William Jewell welcoming South Dakota Mines. McKendree (Angelo State), Quincy (Midwestern State), Southwest Baptist (Eastern New Mexico) and Truman State (Michigan Tech) will all open on the road. On Saturday, Sept. 2, Lincoln is on the road facing Langston and Missouri S&T hosts West Florida.
2017 GLVC FOOTBALL PRESEASON POLL
| Place |
School |
Points (1st) |
| 1. |
Southwest Baptist |
48 (6)* |
| 2. |
Truman State |
41 (2) |
| 3. |
McKendree |
36 |
| 4. |
Indianapolis |
35 |
| 5. |
Missouri S&T |
22 |
| 6. |
Quincy |
21 |
| 7. |
William Jewell |
11 |
| 8. |
Lincoln |
10 |