HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University football team was picked first in the 2022 Southland Conference Football Preseason Poll, the conference office announced at the league's Football Media Day Wednesday at the L'Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles.
 
Southeastern, one of six FCS teams to finish each of the past three seasons ranked in the top 25, enters 2022 looking to return to the FCS playoffs for the second straight season and third time in the past four seasons. SLU enters the season with a run of 26 consecutive weeks ranked in the FCS top 25 – the fifth-longest such streak in the country.
 
The Lions are ranked No. 19 in the Athlon Sports preseason top 25. Southeastern features 10 preseason All-Southland Conference performers returning from a squad that finished 2021 ranked No. 15 in both the Stats Perform and AFCA FCS Coaches polls.
 
Southeastern and defending league champion UIW occupied the top two spots in the poll, as both teams received seven first-place votes. SLU and the Cardinals both represented the SLC in the postseason last fall and advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs.
 
Nicholls also received two first-place votes and occupied the third spot in the poll. McNeese, Northwestern State, Texas A&M-Commerce, Lamar and HBU rounded out the preseason picks, which were made by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Voters were not allowed to rank their own teams.  
 
The Lions report back to the campus on Aug. 2 with the team's first practice set for Aug. 3. Southeastern will open the 2022 season with a 6 p.m. game Sept. 3 at UL Lafayette. The five-game home schedule begins with a 6 p.m. Sept. 17 contest versus Central Connecticut State.
 
2022 Southland Conference Football Preseason Poll
School (First-place votes) - Points
1. Southeastern (7) - 90
2. UIW (7) – 86
3. Nicholls (2) – 79
4. McNeese – 61
5. Northwestern State – 44
6. Texas A&M-Commerce – 39
7. Lamar – 25
8. HBU - 24
 
TICKETS
For ticket information, contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net. Southeastern will continue offering mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets for the 2022-23 season. All tickets will be available via e-mail or text message in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Football, follow @LionUpFootball and @Coach_Scelfo on Twitter, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
 
TOUCHDOWN CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the football program are encouraged to join the Touchdown Club. Lion football alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Touchdown Club and S Club (football) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern football program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events, effective with the start of the 2018 football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.