KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) head football coaches predict Northeastern State will finish tied for tenth. At the same time, the media picked them 11th with the release Tuesday morning of its preseason polls.  The release on Tuesday is in conjunction with the association's Media Day at the Kansas City Convention Center's Little Theater in Kansas City, Mo.

NSU received 24 points in the coaches' poll, an increase of one point from the 2019 poll, and is tied with Missouri Southern.  The RiverHawks had 25 points in the media poll and are slotted in the same position they received in 2019. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no 2020 preseason poll, with most teams in the MIAA not participating in regular-season action. 

In the coaches poll, Northwest Missouri earned 120 points and the majority of the first-place votes with ten for the top spot on the poll. Central Missouri and Fort Hays State received one first-place vote and 105 points apiece to tie for second. Nebraska Kearney claimed the fourth spot with 86 points and Missouri Western game in fifth with 71 points.
 
Washburn was tabbed sixth as Pittsburg State was seventh, and Emporia State was eighth. Central Oklahoma was selected in the ninth spot; Lincoln rounded out the poll finishing behind NSU and Missouri Southern. 

The top three were the same in the media poll; Missouri Western was one point ahead of Nebraska Kearney for fifth.   Pittsburg State is sixth, ahead of Washburn, Central Oklahoma, and Emporia State.  Northeastern State is sandwiched between Missouri Southern and Lincoln in the poll. 

Northeastern State opens its 2021 season on Saturday, Sept. 4, hosting Emporia State for a 6 p.m. kickoff. 

MIAA Football Coaches Poll

Place	Team	1st Place	Points
1st	Northwest Missouri	10	120
T2nd	Central Missouri	1	105
T2nd	Fort Hays State	1	105
4th	Nebraska-Kearney	-	86
5th	Missouri Western	-	71
6th	Washburn	-	69
7th	Pittsburg State	-	66
8th	Emporia State	-	55
9th	Central Oklahoma	-	52
T10th	Missouri Southern	-	24
T10th	Northeastern State	-	24
12th	Lincoln	-	15

MIAA Football Media Poll

Place	Team	1st Place	Points
1st	Northwest Missouri	10	142
2nd	Central Missouri	1	124
3rd	Fort Hays State	1	120
4th	Missouri Western	-	99
5th	Nebraska-Kearney	-	98
6th	Pittsburg State	-	91
7th	Washburn	-	70
8th	Central Oklahoma	-	62
9th	Emporia State	-	56
10th	Missouri Southern	-	33
11th	Northeastern State	-	25
12th	Lincoln	-	16