Elon Football Finishes With Top 25 Ranking

ELON, N.C. – With the FCS football season coming to a close with Saturday’s title game, the final national polls were announced on Monday, Jan. 8. The Elon University squad found itself in the top 25 of both the STATS FCS Poll and the FCS Coaches Poll after finishing the season with an 8-4 overall record.

STATS FCS Poll | Coaches Poll

The Phoenix, which earned its second FCS Playoff berth after finishing third in CAA Football with a 6-2 league mark, claimed a ranking of 20th in the STATS poll and 21st in the coaches poll.

Under first-year coach Curt Cignetti, Elon posted a six-game improvement from 2016 to 2017. Cignetti was named the CAA Football Coach of the Year and the team featured six all-conference players and the CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Phoenix defeated four ranked opponents and made its first appearance in the national polls since the 2010 campaign. The team won eight straight games during the season, the fourth longest such streak within a season in the history of the program.

National champion North Dakota State (14-1) claimed the top spot in both polls, with runner-up James Madison (14-1) holding down the second spot. The STATS poll’s remaining top five consisted of South Dakota State (11-3), Sam Houston State (12-2) and Weber State (11-3). The coaches swapped South Dakota State and Sam Houston State.

Elon earned 1,117 points in the STATS poll to sit 20th, while the Phoenix garnered 162 points to finish 21st in the coaches poll.

Including JMU, the STATS poll also included CAA Football members Stony Brook (11th, 10-3) and New Hampshire (12th, 9-5). Stony Brook ended the year ranked 11th, while UNH finished 15th in the coaches poll.

Elon will open up the 2018 season at South Florida on Sept. 1.