MARSHALL - The Missouri Valley College football team was picked to win the conference in the 2014 HAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll released Tuesday.
The Vikings received six first place votes and 77 of the possible 81 voting points to sit atop the preseason poll. MVC is coming off a 2013 season that saw the team win a third-consecutive HAAC championship, advance to the NAIA Football Championship Series quarterfinals and finish with a 9-3 record.
The Vikings finished ahead of second place Baker University by just one voting point.
The Vikings will open their season at home on Sept. 13 against Tabor College. MVC was ranked No. 7 and Tabor was ranked No. 8 in the NAIA Spring Football Coaches' Top 25 Poll. The game is part of the HAAC/KCAC Series and takes place on Family Weekend at Missouri Valley with a 6 p.m., kickoff.
Also, the Vikings will play in the first NAIA Gridiron Challenge at Arrowhead Stadium against MidAmerica Nazarene University on October 11.