ANNVILLE, Pa. (Football) – The Delaware Valley Aggies were selected as the favorites to claim the 2018 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) title by the conference coaches in the MAC Football Coaches’ Preseason Poll. The Aggies received 98 points and eight of the 11 first-place votes.
Stevenson was positioned second with 88 points and two first-place votes, and Widener ranked third with 79 points and the final first-place vote. Albright earned 73 points and Lycoming collected 64 points to round out the top-five of the coaches’ preseason poll.
The rest of the preseason poll, in respective order, includes Lebanon Valley (59 points), King’s (48 points), FDU-Florham (30 points), Wilkes (29 points), Misericordia (25 points) and Alvernia (12 points).
Delaware Valley (DelVal) claimed the 2017 MAC title with a 9-0 conference record for its 10th conference title in football, first since 2011. The Aggies earned the conference NCAA automatic qualifier to advance to the NCAA Championship for the seventh time since 2004. DelVal advanced to the national quarterfinals before stepping out of the playoff race. The Aggies were ranked No. 17 in the 2018 D3football.com Preseason Poll.
Stevenson, who won the 2016 conference title, finished fourth in the 2017 standings with a 6-3 record. The Mustangs earned a bid to an ECAC Bowl where they fell, 29-16, to Alfred in Newark, Del.
Widener is looking for its 21st conference title, first since 2014, after finishing tied for second in the standings in 2017. The Pride earned the MAC’s second-seed in the 2017 Centennial-MAC Bowl Series where they traveled to Franklin & Marshall for a 21-7 setback.
Albright, like DelVal, is looking to claim its 11th conference title in 2018. The Lions last won the MAC title in 2015. Albright earned the MAC’s top-seed in the 2017 Centennial-MAC Bowl Series for the second-straight season. The Lions fell to Susquehanna, 28-9.
Lebanon Valley and Lycoming claimed a share of the conference title in 2013. Wilkes is looking for its first title since 2006, and King’s last won in 2002.
The MAC is expanding to 11 teams this fall with the addition of the Alvernia Golden Wolves. The Golden Wolves will play their inaugural game on Saturday, Sept. 1 against Gallaudet. Alvernia opens its conference slate two weeks later on Sept. 15 at home against FDU-Florham.
With the conference growing to 11 programs, the MAC has shifted to a new schedule format. Each team will now play eight conference games and two non-conference games instead of the old format of nine conference games and one non-conference game.
Even though teams will only face eight of their 10 conference members in conference action in the new format, the MAC is allowing its teams to schedule the remaining two teams as a non-conference contest if they wish to. (
2018 Schedule)
The 2018 MAC Football Preseason Poll and 2017 final standings can be viewed below.
| 2018 MAC Football Coaches' Preseason Poll |
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
(1st Place Votes) |
| 1 |
Delaware Valley |
98 |
(8) |
| 2 |
Stevenson |
88 |
(2) |
| 3 |
Widener |
79 |
(1) |
| 4 |
Albright |
73 |
|
| 5 |
Lycoming |
64 |
|
| 6 |
Lebanon Valley |
59 |
|
| 7 |
King's |
48 |
|
| 8 |
FDU-Florham |
30 |
|
| 9 |
Wilkes |
29 |
|
| 10 |
Misericordia |
25 |
|
| 11 |
Alvernia |
12 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2017 MAC Football Final Standings |
|
| Finish |
Team |
Conf. |
Overall |
| 1 |
Delaware Valley |
9-0 |
12-1 |
| t2 |
Albright |
7-2 |
8-3 |
| t2 |
Widener |
7-2 |
7-4 |
| 4 |
Stevenson |
6-3 |
6-5 |
| 5 |
Lebanon Valley |
5-4 |
5-5 |
| t6 |
King's |
4-5 |
5-5 |
| t6 |
Lycoming |
4-5 |
4-6 |
| 8 |
FDU-Florham |
2-7 |
3-7 |
| 9 |
Misericordia |
1-8 |
1-9 |
| 10 |
Wilkes |
0-9 |
0-10 |