RedStorm on bottom of AAC football coaches' poll

The University of Rio Grande sits at the bottom of the 2025 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Football Preseason Coaches' Poll.

The poll, which was voted on by each of the seven head coaches in the league, was released last week by league officials.

Rio Grande, which is fielding a team for the first time since the close of the 1949 season, garnered 10 points in the balloting.

The RedStorm is scheduled to open its season against Defiance College on Aug. 30, at 3:30 p.m., at Alumni Stadium in Jackson, Ohio.

The University of Pikeville (Ky.) led the poll with three first-place votes and 45 points in the balloting, edging Reinhardt (Ga.) University for the top spot on the list. The Eagles also had three first-place votes and finished with 43 points.

Rounding out the top three was Bluefield (Va.) University with 30 points.

Point (Ga.) got the remaining first-place nod and was fourth with 27 points, while Union Commonwealth (Ky.) was fifth with 21 points and Kentucky Christian University finished sixth in front of Rio Grande with 20 points.

This is the fourth season the AAC has sponsored football as a championship sport, with Reinhardt capturing the first two championships before sharing last year's title with Pikeville. The Bears, though, owned the tie-breaker and received the automatic berth to the NAIA Football Championship Series and advanced to the round of 16.