CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Salukis are back in the national spotlight.
SIU earned a No. 16 ranking in the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25 Poll, giving the program a top 20 national ranking as it prepares to launch the 2026 season and pursue another trip to the FCS Playoffs.
The Salukis collected 509 points in the national media poll after finishing the 2025 season with a 7-5 record and a No. 25 final national ranking. SIU enters 2026 as one of six Missouri Valley Football Conference teams ranked in the preseason top 25.
The MVFC led all conferences with six ranked teams, including No. 3 South Dakota State, No. 4 Illinois State, No. 9 Youngstown State, No. 10 North Dakota, No. 12 South Dakota and No. 16 SIU.
Defending national champion Montana State opens the season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the country after receiving all 57 first-place votes. Montana follows at No. 2, while South Dakota State, Illinois State and Tarleton State round out the top five.
SIU will face one of the nation’s toughest schedules as it navigates a conference loaded with nationally ranked opponents. Five MVFC foes begin the year in the top 25, creating multiple opportunities for the Salukis to climb the national rankings throughout the season.
The Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll is voted on by a national panel of media members and is released weekly throughout the season.
Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25
- Montana State
- Montana
- South Dakota State
- Illinois State
- Tarleton State
- UC Davis
- Rhode Island
- Villanova
- Youngstown State
- North Dakota
- Lehigh
- South Dakota
- Stephen F. Austin
- Tennessee Tech
- Abilene Christian
- SIU
- Austin Peay
- Yale
- Southeastern Louisiana
- Lamar
- Mercer
- Monmouth
- UT Martin
- South Carolina State
- Northern Arizona
Others Receiving Votes
Idaho State, Western Carolina, Harvard, New Hampshire, Alabama State, Jackson State, Southern Utah, Prairie View A&M, West Georgia, UTRGV, Richmond, ETSU, Elon, Southeast Missouri, William & Mary, Delaware State, Drake and Furman.
SIU opens the 2026 season on Aug. 27 at West Florida. The Salukis will look to build on last year’s playoff appearance and continue their rise among the nation’s top FCS programs. The first home football game is Sept. 12 against SEMO on SIU’s Family Weekend.