NEW ORLEANS — Sun Belt Conference coaches voted new member Georgia Southern eighth in their 2014 preseason poll released Saturday, according to a news release from the school.
GSU had 44 points in the voting. UL-Lafayette received all 11 first-place votes from the coaches to rank first with 121 points. Arkansas State had 102 points for second place. Both the Ragin’ Cajuns and RedWolves, last season’s Sun Belt co-champions, won their respective bowl games last year.
South Alabama was third in the poll with 98 points. The Nos. 4 through 6 teams differed by just 14 points, with Troy fourth with 84 points, UL-Monroe at fifth with 78 and Texas State in sixth with 70.
GSU’s fellow new league member and former Southern Conference rival Appalachian State was seventh with 47. The Eagles host the Mountaineers on Sept. 25 in a game that will be broadcast on ESPNU, which also is the first Sun Belt game at Paulson Stadium.
Idaho earned 29 points for ninth, while Georgia State and New Mexico State completed the rankings in 10th and 11th with 27 and 26 points, respectively.
GSU is eligible to win the league championship this year, its first in the Football Bowl Subdivision, but will not be able to participate in postseason play until 2015.
Georgia Southern kicks off the 2014 season Aug. 30 at North Carolina State, with its home opener in the newly expanded Paulson Stadium at 6 p.m. Sept. 6 against Savannah State.
The Eagles’ first Sun Belt game is Sept. 20 against South Alabama in Mobile.
GSU is eligible to win the league championship this year, its first in the Football Bowl Subdivision, but will not be able to participate in postseason play until 2015.