HobbsDailyReport.com
ROCK HILL, S.C. – South Atlantic Conference (SAC) football head coaches think Lenoir-Rhyne University will finish in the lower end of the standings this year.
A preseason vote by the coaches, released by the conference on Tuesday, had LRU and Limestone tying for seventh place (last in an eight-team league).
Defending conference champion Newberry (S.C.) is the favorite to win the title again, garnering six first-place votes. Wingate and Mars Hill, predicted to finish second and third, respectively, each got one first-place vote. Catawba was tabbed to finish fourth, followed by Carson-Newman and Tusculum.
Newberry went 10-2 overall and 7-0 in the SAC last season.
LRU was 3-8, 3-4 in head coach Mike Kellar’s debut year with the Bears.
Limestone, after playing three seasons at as an NCAA Division II independent, is playing in the SAC for the first season.
LRU tied for fourth place in the SAC last year.
The Bears open their season on Aug. 31 at home against West Alabama at 7 p.m.
Kellar and the other league coaches will participate on Friday in the league’s Digital Media Day, with Kellar scheduled to talk about his team from 10:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. The event begins at 9:30 a.m. and visit www.thesac for more details.
SAC PRESEASON FOOTBALL COACHES POLL
1. Newberry (6) 55
2. Wingate (1) 47
3. Mars Hill (1) 42
4. Catawba 39
5. Carson-Newman 33
6. Tusculum 26
7t. LENOIR-RHYNE 19
7t. Limestone 19
— Reported by LRU Sports Information