(Kansas City, MO) The NAIA released the 2021-22 NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll on Monday afternoon and the Cardinals are ranked 6th. This recognition comes on the heels of the Cardinals' fourth straight appearance in the NAIA Football Championship Series, making it to the quarterfinals last season. The Cardinals were ranked 6th in the post-season poll following the team's season ending defeat to eventual NAIA champion Lindsey Wilson. This marks their fourth consecutive season being ranked in the preseason poll and Concordia's sixth season cracking the top 25.
The poll released by the NAIA office on Monday afternoon saw the Cardinals gather 338 total votes. Last year, the Cardinals started ranked 13th, appeared in every poll, and climbed as high as 5th in late March and April. This is the 39th time in Cardinal football history that the program has received recognition in the poll and their 38th consecutive appearance in the poll dating back to September of 2017.
Fellow MSFA members to receive recognition in the poll include Marian University (9), Olivet Nazarene (10), University of St. Francis (IN) (16), Roosevelt (20), and Saint Xavier (RV).
Joshua Schumacher will begin his 5th year as the Cardinals head coach when the team travels to St. Ambrose on September 11th.
