Marian was tagged to finish atop the Mideast League in 2023, as the league coaches ranked the Knights No. 1 in the MSFA Mideast League Preseason Poll.
The Knights finished second with a 6-1 record last season, but reached the NAIA Football Championship Series quarterfinals. Marian returns ten All-MSFA honorees from 2022, including First-Team selections Drew Byerly at tight end, Nate Frey in the secondary, and a pair of offensive linemen in Zach Sibila and Austin Jones.
The defending Mideast League champs are expected to be the biggest challenge for Marian to take the crown, as Indiana Wesleyan was picked second in the poll, earning three of a potential seven first-place votes. Concordia – who shared the title in 2021 and was the top pick in last year’s preseason poll – comes in third.
Saint Francis and Siena Heights finish fourth and fifth respectively, with just one point between the two programs. Taylor and Lawrence Tech also finish a point apart, in sixth and seventh. Madonna finishes out the poll in eighth.
To determine the preseason rankings, head coaches across the league rank their fellow Mideast League members from top to bottom, with 1st place earning 7 points, 2nd place earning 6 points, etc. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own teams.
Taylor kicks off the new year on August 26, when they host St. Ambrose in an MSFA crossover matchup. Six more teams are in action on September 2, including the first league game of the season when the Trojans head north to face Concordia.
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2023 MSFA Mideast League Preseason Poll
1.) Marian – 47 pts. (5)
2.) Indiana Wesleyan – 43 pts. (3)
3.) Concordia – 37 pts.
4.) Saint Francis (Ind.) – 27 pts.
5.) Siena Heights – 26 pts.
6.) Taylor – 19 pts.
7.) Lawrence Tech – 18 pts.
8.) Madonna – 7 pts.
