Kansas City, Mo. – The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference is represented in the NAIA Football Coaches' Preseason Top 25 poll by #11 Ottawa University and #24 Bethany College the national office announced Monday, August 6.  Friends University received 11 votes, five shy of the 25th position.

Ottawa took the top spot in the both KCAC Media and Coaches Polls, which were conducted on August 1. The Braves finished 2011 with an overall record of 9-3, winning all nine of their conference games. By winning the KCAC title, Ottawa earned their sixth all-time appearance in the Football Championship Series in 2011. They fell, 49-26, to Azusa Pacific (Calif.).  Total number of Braves starters returning to lost is 19 to 7.

Ottawa loses AFCA First Team All-America Receiver Clarence Anderson (279 catches, 4,329 yards, 49 TDs in four-year career), but brings back do-everything senior-to-be Wide Out Shane Gimzo. Gimzo who also saw time at Quarterback put up 585 receiving yards, 475 passing yards, and 436 rushing yards.  Senior-to-be Defensive Back Donald Anderson (53 tackles, 5 INTs, 25 pass break ups) is back in the fold after a First Team All-KCAC season.  The Braves ranked among the top 10 nationally in several statistical categories, including first in punt return average (20.5) and third in pass efficiency defense (81.8).

 KCAC Coaches picked Bethany to finish second, behind Ottawa in 2012, where the media picked the Swedes to finish third.  In 2011 the Swedes finished with an overall record of 8-3. Third overall in the KCAC, Bethany won six of nine conference games.  The Swedes raced out to a 5-0 start and No. 14 national ranking before finishing at 8-3.  Total number of Swede starters returning to lost is 14 to 12.

 KCAC Coaches and Media Poll Results

Bethany welcomes back Quarterback Darby House for his senior season after throwing for 2,475 yards and 21 touchdowns last season. Bethany Head Coach Jamie Cruce announced on KCAC Media Day that senior-to-be Running Back Junior Allen will not be returning for the Swedes. Allen had 2,836 rush yards in two seasons at Bethany, and led the nation in all-purpose yards per game (170.9) and was second in rushing (1,404 yards) in 2011.  

Defending national champion Saint Xavier (Ill.) begins the 2012 season as the No. 1 ranked team in the Poll. Saint Xavier is no stranger to the No. 1 ranking, earning the top-spot in 9-of-13 polls last year, including the 2011 Postseason Poll following a 24-20 victory against Carroll (Mont.) in the 56th annual Russell Athletic-NAIA Football National Championship.

 The remainder of the top nine teams go unchanged from the Spring Top 25 Poll (April 18) with second-ranked Carroll followed by No. 3 Marian (Ind.), No. 4 Georgetown (Ky.) and No. 5 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) to round out the top five.

With the No. 2 ranking, the Fighting Saints extend their streak of top-five ratings to 91-straight polls dating back to Jan. 17, 2005 (2004 Postseason Top 25 poll). Carroll begins its 2012 campaign on Aug. 24 at Montana State-Northern.

Northwestern (Iowa) made the biggest improvement from the previous poll, vaulting four spots to No. 10, while Cumberlands (Ky.) fell the farthest, tumbling three spots from No. 19 to No. 22.

No. 25 Campbellsville is the lone newcomer from the Spring Top 25 Poll. The Tigers, out of the Mid-South West Conference, garnered their first Top 25 ranking since the Sept. 19, 2011.

The Heart of America Athletic Conference (MidAmerica Nazarene, No. 9 Missouri Valley, No. 13 Benedictine (Kan.), No. 18 Baker (Kan.)) and the Mid-States Football Association Midwest (No. 7 St. Francis (Ill.), No. 14 William Penn (Iowa), No. 15 Grand View (Iowa), No. 20 St. Ambrose (Iowa)) boast the most teams in the Top 25 with four each. Three other conferences are tied for third with three schools, respectively.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and Independents.

For the entire 2012 Coaches' Top 25 Poll schedule, click here.

For more information on NAIA football, please click here.

2012 NAIA Football Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll

Others Receiving Votes: Friends 11; Montana State-Northern 11; Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 10; Hastings (Neb.) 3