ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Drake University football team was picked to finish fourth in the Pioneer Football League standings in a preseason vote of the league's coaches.
 
The Bulldogs, set to begin their fourth season under head coach Rick Fox, return nine All-PFL honorees and 18 student-athletes that started in 2016.
 
Drake earned 67 total points in the poll. San Diego, which won the 2016 title, again received the coaches' nod to win the 2017 PFL title, earning 99 points with nine first-place votes. Dayton earned 92 points with two first-place votes, while Marist was picked third with 69 points.
 
The upcoming 2017 season marks the 25th year for the Pioneer Football League – the nation's only non-scholarship, football-only NCAA Football Championship Subdivision conference. The league will feature 11 teams each playing an eight-game schedule to determine the league champion and recipient of the automatic bid to the NCAA FCS Championship. 
 
The Bulldogs begin their 2017 campaign on Sept. 2 against South Dakota at Drake Stadium at 6 p.m.
 
Pioneer Football League 2017 Preseason Coaches' Poll
Team, Points
1. San Diego (9), 99
2. Dayton (2), 92
3. Marist, 69
4. Drake, 67
5. Campbell, 62
    Jacksonville, 62
7. Butler, 49 
8. Morehead State, 42
9. Stetson, 29
10. Valparaiso, 24
11. Davidson, 10

• First-place votes in parentheses.
• 10 points awarded for a first-place vote, with one point less for each succeeding place. (Maximum score = 100)
• Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.