SXU Football Team Ranked In Preseason NAIA Poll

CHICAGO, IL -- The Saint Xavier University football team is ranked No. 24 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' preseason Top 25 poll. The ranking comes after a rare season in which the Cougars finished below the .500 mark and failed to qualify for the NAIA playoffs for only the second time in eight seasons.

"Our expectation every year is to make the playoffs and compete for the national championship so we’ve been chomping at the bit since January,” SXU Head Football Coach Mike Feminis said.

The Cougars finished the 2016 campaign with an overall record of 5-6. Their No. 24 spot in the preseason poll fits them right between No. 23 William Penn (Iowa) and No. 25 Southern Oregon. The University of Saint Francis (Indiana) is the No. 1 ranked team in the NAIA and are followed by Baker (Kansas), Reinhardt (Georgia), Morningside (Iowa) and Marian (Indiana).

The Cougars will open their 2017 campaign - the 25th in the history of the program - at home against Marian on Thursday, Aug. 31.

“We’re starting our 25th season on a Thursday night Labor Day weekend against the number five team in the country so it doesn’t get much better than that," Feminis said. "Marian has really taken it to us the last two years and there’s no question we were humbled as a program last season."

Here's a look at the complete Saint Xavier University 2017 Football Schedule

Aug. 31: vs. Marian (Ind.) 6 p.m.

Sept. 9: at Missouri Baptist 11 a.m.

Sept. 16: vs. Lindenwood University-Belleville 6 p.m.

Sept. 23: at University of Saint Francis (Ind.) 5 p.m.

Sept. 30: vs. Taylor University (Ind.) 1 p.m.

Oct. 14: vs. Trinity International University (Ill.) 1 p.m.

Oct. 21: vs. Saint Ambrose University (Iowa) 1 p.m.

Oct. 28: at University of Saint Francis (Ill.) 1 p.m.

Nov. 4: vs. Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) 1 p.m.

Nov. 11: at Robert Morris University (Ill.) 3 p.m.