Football Opens Season Ranked 15th in NJCAA Preseason Poll

EL DORADO, Kan. – Butler football will be ranked for its week one game for a second consecutive season.

The Grizzlies checked in at No. 15 on Monday when the NJCAA released its Division 1 preseason football poll. Butler received the last spot in the top-15 poll.

The ranking comes after Butler was picked to finish third out of seven teams in the KJCCC Preseason Coaches Poll behind Hutchinson and Garden City.

A season ago the Grizzlies opened the season ranked 12th and were ranked among the nation's top-15 in nine of the 14 weekly polls.

Butler is joined by two conference schools in the national rankings in Hutchinson (No. 3) and Garden City (No. 9). Dodge City and Highland are receiving votes.

The Grizzlies 2024 schedule will be a tough one as their week nine opponent Iowa Western is the preseason No. 1 team in the nation. Butler plays Snow College in the fifth game of the season at home (Sept. 28) and the Badgers are the preseason No. 5 team. Iowa Central, Butler's last opponent of the season at home on Nov. 16, checks in at No. 8. All in all, five of Butler's opponents are ranked in the preseason. The full poll can be found below.

Season and individual game tickets are now on sale at ButlerGrizzlies.com/tickets. Butler opens the 2024 season at home on Saturday, Aug. 31, at 7 p.m. from BG Products Veterans Sports Complex.

2024 NJCAA D1 FOOTBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Iowa Western
2. East Mississippi
3. Hutchinson
4. Kilgore
5. Snow
6. Trinity Valley
7. Northwest Mississippi
8. Iowa Central
9. Garden City
10. Copiah-Lincoln
11. Mississippi Gulf Coast
12. Georgia Military
13. Navarro
14. Jones
15. Butler

Others Receiving Votes: Dodge City, Highland, Lackawanna, New Mexico Military, Tyler