BLUE TIGERS TABBED NO. 5 IN GLFC
In the recently released Great Lakes Football Conference preseason football coaches poll, Lincoln University was picked to finish fifth. The Blue Tigers led by second year head coach Lemar Parrish received 11 votes, avoiding the bottom spot held by Central State University, (Wilberforce, Ohio) who acquired each of the last place votes (five points) for sixth place.
On the strength of two first-place votes, Tiffin University (Tiffin, Ohio) was chosen to win the GLFC with 26 points. St. Joseph’s College (Rensselaer, Ind.) also got two first-place votes and a total of 25 points for second, while the University of Missouri-Rolla obtained one first-place vote and 24 points to land in third. Kentucky Wesleyan College (Owensboro, Ky.) was given fourth place after gaining 14 points.
This season the Blue Tigers are scheduled to play each of the Great Lakes Football Conference opponents, except for Central State. For the second consecutive year the Marauders are playing a six game schedule (three non-conference games, three GLFC contests) as they prepare to enter into varsity competition full time in the fall of 2007.
Lincoln University opens the 2006 football season at home on August 26 at 2:00 p.m. in Dwight T. Reed Stadium against the Lane College (Jackson, Tenn.) Dragons. Since the re-addition of football at Lincoln University in 2000, the Dragons have won two of three games against the Blue Tigers. In 2000 and 2003 the Dragons prevailed 14-6 and 22-13, respectively at Rothrock Stadium in Jackson, Tenn. The Blue Tigers beat the Dragons at home 23-6 in 2002. The scheduled 2001 (Sept. 15) game between the two schools was not made up after the tragedy of Sept. 11.
Of the Blue Tigers 10 football games this fall, six are at home. The six Blue Tigers home games are the most at Dwight T. Reed Stadium since 2002 when they played seven home games. In 2002 the Blue Tigers were 4-7 with a 2-5 home record.
Lincoln University is the only Historically Black College and University in Missouri, who holds membership and participates in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Lincoln University is a member of the Texas based Heartland Conference.
The complete GLFC preseason football ranking is as follows, with first-place votes in parentheses and 2005 overall record and record against GLFC opponents:
Tiffin University – 26 (2) 6-5, 1-1
St. Joseph's College – 25 (2) 7-4, 3-0
University of Missouri-Rolla – 24 (1) 7-4, 0-1
Kentucky Wesleyan College – 14 3-7, 0-0
Lincoln University – 11 2-7, 1-1
Central State University – 5 1-5, 0-2
