For the first time in Gateway history, four league teams are ranked among the top 11 in a national top-25 poll. Western Illinois stands at No. 2, while Southern Illinois moves up a spot to No. 7, Western Kentucky holds at No. 9, and UNI moves up a notch to No. 11.

A battle of two Gateway top-10 schools takes place this week as unbeaten Southern Illinois faces Western Illinois in Macomb. It will mark the 10th time in league history that two top-10 Gateway teams have faced each other.

Twenty-four of the poll’s 25 teams will be in action this week, with two matchups between a pair of ranked teams featured on the

Sports Network/CSTV Poll
Team (First-place votes) 2003 Record Points
1. McNeese State (64) 4-1 2,530
2. Western Illinois (26) 5-1 2,485
3. Villanova (12) 6-0 2,409
4. Delaware (1) 6-0 2,258
5. Montana 5-1 2,092
6. Massachusetts 5-1 1,973
7. Southern Illinois 6-0 1,917
8. Wofford 5-1 1,730
9. Western Kentucky 4-2 1,704
10. Georgia Southern 4-2 1,477
11. UNI 5-1 1,441
12. Bethune-Cookman 5-1 1,304
13. Furman 4-2 1,303
14. Northern Arizona 5-1 1,292
15. Penn 4-0 1,093
16. Grambling State 4-2 995
17. Southern (1) 6-0 967
18. Colgate 6-0 966
19. Northwestern State 5-2 759
20. Maine 4-2 615
21. Idaho State 4-2 503
22. Harvard 4-0 398
23. Florida Atlantic 5-2 261
24. Fordham 4-2 244
25. North Carolina A&T 5-1 138
 

Others receiving votes (in order of points, minimum of five required): Hampton, Lehigh, Northeastern, Yale, Appalachian State, Northern Colorado, Tennessee State, Eastern Washington, Cal Poly, Gardner-Webb, South Carolina State, Samford, Alabama State, Weber State, Youngstown State, Illinois State, Eastern Kentucky, Portland State

ESPN/USA Today Poll
1. MCNEESE ST (29) (4-1) 1,002
2. WESTERN ILLINOIS(8) (5-1) 978
3. VILLANOVA (3) (6-0) 951
4. DELAWARE (6-0) 898
5. MONTANA (5-1) 821
6. MASSACHUSETTS (5-1) 769
7. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS(6-0) 753
8. WOFFORD (5-1) 697
9. WESTERN KENTUCKY (4-2) 693
10. GA SOUTHERN (4-2) 601
11. UNI(5-1) 565
12. NORTHRN ARIZONA (5-1) 518
13. BETHUNE COOKMAN (5-1) 506
14. FURMAN (4-2) 490
15. GRAMBLING (4-2) 405
16. PENNSYLVANIA (4-0) 398
17. SOUTHERN (1) (6-0) 395
18. COLGATE (6-0) 373
19. NORTHWESTERN ST (5-2) 288
20. MAINE (3-2) 249
21. IDAHO ST (4-2) 229
22. HARVARD (4-0) 148
23. FORDHAM (4-2) 100
24. FLA ATLANTIC (5-2) 96
25. NO CAROLINA A&T (5-1) 54
 

Others Receiving Votes: HAMPTON 54, YALE 50, NORTHEASTERN 33, LEHIGH 30, GARDNER-WEBB 27, APPALACHIAN ST 26, EASTERN WASH 24, CAL POLY 18, ALABAMA ST 18, SO CAROLINA ST 12, ILLINOIS STATE12, SAMFORD 10, NORTHERN COLO 10, WEBER ST 8, EASTERN KY 7, TENNESSEE ST 6, BUCKNELL 2, YOUNGSTOWN STATE 1.