(Kansa City, MO) - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) released the NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 preseason poll on Monday afternoon. The Concordia Cardinals appeared in the rankings for the sixth consecutive year as they received 20 points in the poll.
Atop of the rankings is the 2022 National Champion Northwestern (IA) who garnered 17 first-place votes and 418 points overall. Keiser, who was runner-up last season, collected the only other first-place vote. Rounding out the top-5 is Grand View (IA) (379 points), Morningside (IA) (375), and fellow Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) Mideast team Indiana Wesleyan (340).
Four teams from the MSFA join the Cardinals in the rankings with Indiana Wesleyan, Marian (6th, 335), Saint Xavier (IL) (13th, 231), and St. Francis (IL) (24th, 70).
Head Coach Joshua Schumacher and the Cardinals open the 2023 season at home on September 2nd, when they face off against the Trojans of Taylor University in a 1 PM kickoff.
