DAVIS, Calif. -- UC Davis football enters the season as the No. 5 team in the Football Championship Subdivision for a third poll, this time by the American Football Coaches Association. The Aggies previously checked in at the same position in the STATS and Athlon Sports preseason rankings.

Located in Waco, Texas, the AFCA consists of thousands of coaches from all levels of the game, ranging from Pop Warner youth leagues to the NFL.   

UC Davis finished the season at No. 8 in the AFCA poll in 2018, thanks to a 10-3 overall record, a share of the Big Sky Conference championship, and the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA FCS postseason. Defending national champion North Dakota State tops the coaches' poll with 644 total points and 23 of the 26 first-place votes. 

The Aggies are among four Big Sky teams in the AFCA poll, along with No. 3 Eastern Washington, No. 9 Weber State and No. Montana State. Additionally, Montana, Northern Arizona and North Dakota are among the teams receiving votes. UC Davis begins its 2019 season at California on August 31.

2019 AFCA FCS PRESEASON POLL
1. North Dakota State (23), 644
2. James Madison (1), 597
3. Eastern Washington (2), 588
4. South Dakota State, 579
5. UC Davis, 537
6. Jacksonville State, 500
7. Maine, 473
8. Wofford, 437
9. Weber State, 432
10. Kennesaw State, 404
11. Nicholls, 385
12. Towson, 349
13. Illinois State, 290
14. Colgate, 272
15. Montana State, 271
16. Indiana State, 192
17. Furman, 183
18. Southeast Missouri State, 178
19. North Carolina A&T, 158
20. Northern Iowa, 157
21. Elon, 155
22. Sam Houston State, 117
23. Delaware, 87
24. Princeton, 85
25. Central Arkansas, 66

Others Receiving Votes: Montana, 52; Yale, 41; Incarnate Word, 31; East Tennessee State, 23; Tennessee-Chattanooga, 23; Northern Arizona, 20; Idaho, 18; North Dakota, 17; Alcorn State, 16; Monmouth (N.J.), 13; Eastern Kentucky, 12; Dartmouth, 11; South Dakota, 9; Duquesne, 7; Stony Brook, 7; McNeese, 4; San Diego, 3; New Hampshire, 2; Southern, 2; The Citadel, 2; Lamar, 1.

ABOUT UC DAVIS: Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO: Established in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.

DON'T MISS OUT: Season and single-game tickets for UC Davis football are now on sale by contacting the Athletics Ticket Office at (530) 752-AGS1 or by visiting us online at tickets.ucdavis.edu.