ST. LOUIS - North Dakota State's introduction to the Missouri Valley Football Conference came with a bit of a catch on Tuesday. | Preseason All-MVC teams | Patterson to miss start of season | Notes: Donaldson could break WIU career rushing mark

As coaches and conference officials welcomed league newcomers North Dakota State and South Dakota State to the former Gateway Football Conference on Media Day at the St. Louis Airport Hilton, the Bison received an additional gift.

Or is it a burden?

The Bison, who spent seven weeks atop the Football Championship Subdivision national rankings last season and finished 10-1 for the second straight year, were tabbed the Missouri Valley preseason favorites in a voting of league coaches, sports information directors and media members.

"We'll take it as a measure of recognition," North Dakota State coach Craig Bohl said. "We do have a storied past in Division II, but we're stepping into a new arena."

The Bison received 13 first-place votes and 289 poll points. Defending league champion Northern Iowa picked up 15 votes for first but was second in the poll with 275 points.

"This is how we welcome people to the league. We pick them No. 1," joked Northern Iowa coach Mark Farley. "But they are a very good team. They deserve to be picked No. 1."

Youngstown State was third in the poll with 209 points, while Illinois State was eighth in the new nine-team league at 104 points.

Western Illinois was fourth (202), Southern Illinois fifth (201), South Dakota State sixth (149), Missouri State seventh (105) and Indiana State ninth (41).

North Dakota State placed five players on the Valley preseason team, including bruising tailback Tyler Roehl.

"It's a great honor, but we feel like we have to earn it. We haven't played a down in this league," Roehl said of the Bison's top billing. "We have to prove it. We have to prove it to ourselves."

Moving from the Great West Conference, North Dakota State and South Dakota State are playoff eligible for the first time this season after completing a transition from Division II.

"It means we've got a bull's eye on our back," Bison safety Nick Schommer said. "We've had an 11-game season the last two years. This year it's unknown. It could be 11 or 14."

Bohl believes his team is well aware of the strength of its new conference.

"Last year we played a pretty good Central Michigan team (of the FBS Mid-American Conference) and physically beat them (44-14)," said Bohl. "The next week we played Western Illinois and it was a dogfight. That's the best indication."

Northern Iowa placed five players on the preseason team, including defensive linemen Mark Huygens and James Ruffin.

"You can pick one through six in the Valley and put anyone at No. 1. It doesn't matter," said Huygens. "You have to show up every Saturday and play or you're going to lose and drop out."

The Valley poll's top six teams have received top 25 preseason national recognition.

"A tough league just got a lot tougher," ISU coach Denver Johnson said. "But a rising tide floats all boats."

The Redbirds exceeded their preseason conference poll spot in 2005 and 2006 before being picked second and finishing fifth in a seven-team Gateway last season.

"I think it serves as a little bit of motivation," said ISU quarterback Kevin Brockway. "But it's just the preseason poll. Last year we were picked high in the conference, and things didn't turn out for us. Hopefully the reverse trend can happen this year."

Senior safety Tom Nelson was the lone Redbird on the Valley preseason squad.

"We're more worried about ourselves and improving our football team," Nelson said. "I think we're tighter as a group. We've got a lot of young guys who don't really have experience but they're talented. I see them stepping up this year."

Nelson believes last season's 4-7 record will not have a negative impact on the upcoming campaign.

"It was a disappointment. But last year is last year. We buried that awhile ago," he said. "We've worked hard. We have great expectations for ourselves, and we're looking to fulfill them."

Johnson doesn't see the No. 8 spot as a guarantee of a poor season.

"I never have put a lot of stock in that," said the ninth-year Redbird coach. "I'm confident we're going to have a good football team. I don't know if we'll finish eighth or ninth or first or second. But I think we're going to be a much improved football team across the board, particularly defensively."

The Valley has two new coaches in Southern Illinois' Dale Lennon and Indiana State's Trent Miles.

"I've got very big shoes to fill," said Lennon of former Salukis' coach Jerry Kill, who left for Northern Illinois. "This is rejuvenating. I feel like a new coach starting over."

Miles inherits a Sycamores' team that is 1-32 over the last three seasons.

"It's a new day and a new attitude," Miles said. "The young men have bought into what we're doing. We're looking for respect, and we're not going to back down from anybody."

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MVC preseason poll

First-place votes in parentheses

Rank … Team … Points

1. North Dakota State 289 (13)

2. Northern Iowa 275 (15)

3. Youngstown State 209 (1)

4. Western Illinois 202 (4)

5. Southern Illinois 201 (2)

6. South Dakota State 149

7. Missouri State 105

8. Illinois State 104

9. Indiana State 41